The Quest for Vala
by Triscia
Summary: Strange visions lead Daniel to believe that Vala is still alive and in trouble. With the help of allies and with the excuse that no one is ever left behind, he leads a mission into the Ori home galaxy to bring her home. Spoilers up to Beachhead AU after.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

It had been several months since the last time he had heard her voice and yet every time he closed his eyes he could hear it clear as day. Vala had that way with people. From the first day that he had met her, strike that, from the moment that she kidnapped him and took him on a cross galaxy journey straight out of a science fiction novel, she had always been on his mind. Whether it had been annoyance or sympathy – no, it was annoyance, definitely annoyance. Vala was a hard person to forget. This is why he found the possibility that she did not survive the Al'Kesh explosion that destroyed the Ori Beachhead, almost impossible to comprehend. Despite Sam's suggestion that she somehow was pulled into the singularity and taken somewhere into the Ori home galaxy was something that he wanted to believe.

With a sigh, Daniel got up from his bed.

He hadn't been getting a lot of sleep lately and had just been ordered by both General Landry and Dr. Lam to get some or you would spend the next forty eight hours in the infirmary. Whether it was staying up all night studying the _Book of Origin_ or dealing with the latest artifact brought in by another SG team, his time was becoming more and more precious and therefore, he often went without rest. After a while, it became noticeable to his teammates and pretty much everyone else around him resulting in him being ordered to do so. Something that right now was easier said that done. For the last few days it wasn't the job that was keeping him up at night, it was Vala. Or rather, dreams about Vala. For the last three days she had become the only thing that he could think about

He couldn't understand why all of a sudden he was thinking about her. A day didn't go by that he hadn't thought or hoped that she was alive and well but the moments would last for only a few minutes and he was able to go about his day. Now though, it was almost like an obsession. As if every moment of every second of his life at this point revolved around her, and she wasn't even there. He had blamed this on his lack of sleep and thought not to share it with Dr. Lam and the others. The last thing he needed right now was a session with Dr. Mackenzie. So for now he kept these thoughts to himself in the hopes that with some rest they would clear his head.

Exhausted he walked over to the nightstand and grabbed the _Book of Origin_. Walking back to his bed Daniel found himself overcome with pain. Images began rushing before his eyes, each one more unbelievable than the next. So caught up was he in what he was seeing he couldn't hear the sounds of someone pounding on his door, or calling out his name. When it had finally ended, he found himself lying on the floor, with Colonel Mitchell standing above him.

"Jackson, are you all right?"

Daniel felt extremely dizzy as he pulled himself up onto his knees and took a long look at Colonel Mitchell.

"She's alive," he said just before the darkness claimed him.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 **

Consciousness returned to Daniel like mist lifting up from the fog. Sensations of sight, sound, touch -- all began to leak thru the haze and overwhelm his senses. The feeling was similar to what it was like waking up from a zat blast. Rubbing his forehead to ease his pain he was able to slowly open his eyes and although the figures standing before him were blurry, it was obvious to him who they were.

"What the hell happened?"

"We were gonna ask you the same thing," Colonel Mitchell said standing at the end of Daniel's bed.

It only took a moment for it all to come back to him. 

"Vala."

"Back in you're quarters you said, 'She's alive.' Was Vala who you were talking about?"

"Yes."

"Told ya," Mitchell said turning around to where Sam and Teal's where standing.

Daniel was confused and it must have shown since Sam walked up to his bed and sat down beside him.

"Do you remember that project Dr. Lee and I were working on? The one with the Ancient communication stones?"

"Yeah, the one that you made me activate after Vala and I regained consciousness. You were trying to duplicate the process that was created by the Ancient terminal."

"Well, the three of us where in my lab when it started to go haywire. Cam thought that someone was using one of the stones and since you were the person who activated the stone . . . "

"I would be the one that they would communicate with."

"Exactly. Only something else happened because when Cam went to your quarters, you passed out. Are you sure it was Vala?"

"More sure than I have ever been of anything in my entire life."

"Then she did survive the Al'kesh explosion?"

"Yes, and from what I can tell she is in a village similar to Ver Ager. That was the town where Harrid and Sallis came from. Everything is still sort of jumbled so it's going to take me a while to process it all. However I am almost certain that she's in trouble."

Sam got up from the chair allowing Mitchell to take her place.

"What makes you say that, Jackson?"

"I'm not going to pretend to understand how the stones work but this was different from what happened when we were taken over by Harrid and Sallis."

"How so?"

"When Jack and Joe Spencer activated the original stones on Earth they didn't take over each other's bodies they just had flashes of what that person was doing at the time. This was like that, mostly impart because the stones weren't connected to an Ancient terminal. However, like what happened when were connected to the Ancient terminal, whatever happened to the person who activated the stone, in this case Vala, happens to whomever is holding the connection to the other end, in this case, me."

"So you're saying that the whole writhing in pain and agony that you did before you passed out actually happened to Vala?"

"Yes."

"Waking up just now it felt like I was hit with a zat blast. If something similar happened to Vala on her end, it would explain the way that I feel."

"If what you're saying is true, then why didn't it happen to General O'Neill and Joe Spencer?"

Daniel sighed as he sat himself up.

"I don't know. Maybe it's connected to our exposure to the Ancient terminal or maybe it has to do with those Goa'uld Nut marriage bracelets that she used to bind us together."

"But the effects of the bracelets wore off."

"The effects may have worn off where their lives would have been endangered," Sam said as she began to pace the room. "However, it's possible that they left some small permanent connection between the two of you."

"Whatever the reasons for it, she's in trouble. She needs our help."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

The touch of a silky and familiar hand caressing his cheek awoke Daniel from his slumber.

"That's it my Daniel, open your eyes."

Like a bolt of lighting, Daniel's eyes snapped open. There, sitting at his bedside was Vala.

"I must be dreaming," he said trying to pull himself up. It was then he noticed his surroundings.

Daniel found himself in a bedroom, eerily similar to that of Harrid and Sallis in Ver Ager.

"Where am I?"

"It's a village called Ver Isca; it's very similar to Ver Ager, almost identical. And for the record, this is not a dream."

"Then what is _it_?"

"It's a kind of . . . hallucination."

"I'm _hallucinating_?"

"I had every intention of _telling_ you everything. However we got interrupted and I had to think of something else."

"Interrupted how?"

"One thing at a time darling, lets start from the beginning."

"Okay. So we're in Ver Isca. We're in someone's house. Whose house are we in?"

"It belongs to a man named Tomin. He was the one who found me after I had been transported to the Ori galaxy. He has taken care of me ever since I came here."

"Are you okay?"

"I've been better."

"That didn't answer my question."

"I believe I told you to take it slow, now where was I . . . ah, right. So Tomin took care of me and brought me back to health. Tomin was stricken as a child and as a result he walks with a limp. The other villagers look down on him because they feel that the Ori have deemed him unfit in a way. He seemed as if he longed for company and I wanted to blend in so I went along with it at first. After being there a while, I realized that I needed to find a way to contact you or at least someone in this galaxy so I started putting feelers out for any sign of the Anti-Ori underground that Harrid, Sallis and Fannis had belonged to."

"Well did you find anyone?"

"Yes. There was a barmaid with whom I struck up an instant friendship. Her name was Denya. At first I had no idea that she was some part of a rebellion. She worked for Seevis; he was the town barkeep and administrator it was his job to keep the flock in line so to speak. After the first few weeks I realized that Denya was feeling me out so I took a chance and made a few interesting remarks."

"Then what happened?"

"Seevis knocked on the door, dragged me out of the house and chained me to the altar. He called me an unbeliever and made me stay there without food or water until I decided to tell on whomever else were conspiring with me."

"So how long were you chained up?"

"Three days."

"Oh, my god."

"Eventually Tomin, who at first was afraid to defy Seevis, believed that I had been accused unjustly and let me out of the binds."

"Seevis did nothing to stop him?"

"No."

"So neither he nor Denya were part of the underground?"

"No, that's the thing, they were. They were testing me to see if they could trust me. Soon after that I was let into the inner circle."

"What did you find out?"

"There are ships, hundreds of them on planets all across the Ori galaxy. You were right Daniel, they are preparing for crusade."

"Have you seen the ships, do you know what they look –" Daniel said as he tried to pull himself out of the bed. Getting as far as a sitting position he was once again overwhelmed with pain.

"Daniel are you –"

"I'm fine, just tired."

"Then rest, we can pick up where we left off later."

"But you need my help," Daniel said as he tried to hold back a yawn.

"Sleep, Daniel," Vala said as she ran her fingers thru his hair. "I will be here when you wake up."

Daniel gave Vala a large smile and closed his eyes. With a small sigh Vala bent down and kissed Daniel on the forehead.

Vala slowly opened her eyes. Looking around the room she quickly hid the Ancient communication stone under her pillow. Tomin entered moments later, his faced filled with an enormous smile.

"Did you sleep well?

"Yes."

Tomin sat besides her and gave Vala a warm embrace.

"It's going to be okay. I know that you have been thru a lot in the last few days. Especially since Seevis and Denya were forcing you use that machine to contact the unbelievers."

"I'm fine, really I am," Vala said returning his embrace_._

"Once again I am sorry that you were injured. I only meant to stop them."

"I know you did, and I am fine. The Prior healed my wound."

"The ships will be leaving soon and when they do we will spread the word of the Ori to all of those touched by evil. It will be a glorious day for us all."

Still in the comfort of Tomin's embrace Vala closed her eyes and softly cried.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4 **

"_Jackson_!"

Daniel's eyes snapped open to notice not only was he was still in the infirmary but he had apparently never left. Taking a moment to look at each of his teammates, it had become painfully aware that the conversation he had with Vala might not have been a private one.

"Are you all right DanielJackson?"

"I'm fine, Teal'c."

Teal'c exchanged with Mitchell what only could be described as a look of concern before Mitchell sat down in the chair next to Daniel's bedside.

"Well a few seconds ago you were kind of talking to yourself."

"I kind of figured that based on the way you're looking at me right now."

Sam especially was giving Daniel a look of great concern. Whatever had happened must have really freaked them out.

"The last thing we talked about was Vala being in trouble," she said as she motioned for Mitchell to get up from his seat. "Then you started talking to yourself. We tried _everything _to get your attention."

"It was creepy, Jackson. We were _this close_ to calling for Dr. Lam."

"Well I'm glad that you didn't."

"We tried to make out what you were saying Daniel, but it was sort of hard to follow."

Mitchell picked up a pad of paper that had been lying at the foot of Daniel's bed.

"From what we could make out it had something to do with being in a house in place called Ver Isca with some guy named Seevis. I think there involved someone being chained up… not too sure I want to know more about that part."

"I was talking with Vala."

"Was _Vala _chained up? Or did she have _you _chained up?"

"I though you didn't want to know about that part?"

"I said I wasn't too sure I _wanted_ to know."

"And now you do?"

"Well - - "

"Do you think you were actually speaking with her?" Sam interrupted throwing Mitchell a glance that made him stop talking, "Or was it the result of the memory burst that she had sent to you when she was first connected to the stones?"

"I'm not sure Sam, but it was just so real. I was in a room, just like the kind that the two of us encountered while we were in Ver Ager that is the village where Harrid and Sallis had lived. We were in this bedroom and I was lying down, Vala seemed to be tending to me. She started to tell me things."

Mitchell smiled and opened his mouth as if to say something sarcastic but quickly changed his demeanor when both Sam and Teal'c gave him looks that screamed: _Don't go there_.

"Like what?" he said instead, trying desperately to look like he had not been told nonverbally to shut up.

"Like the fact that she is in a village in the Ori galaxy called Ver Isca and from what she has been able to gather so far there are ships and soldiers preparing to come to this galaxy at any time. Its just like I feared, they are preparing for crusade."

"That would mean that the Ori have a_ working_ Supergate?"

"Yes, Sam," Daniel said pulling himself up from his bed. "And if we have any chance at stopping them, we have to find it first."

"What else did Vala say?"

"Most of the things she told me were about what she had been up to since being stranded in Ver Isca. The most important thing that we know right now is there is a Supergate somewhere out there and that is going to need all of our concentration."

"Did she tell you anything else that maybe of use?"

"Not yet."

"Dr. Lam believes that she can release Dr. Jackson from the infirmary within the next few hours," General Landry said as he took his seat in the briefing room "What concerns me right now is the fact that the Ori have a working Supergate and we never knew about it until now."

"We have the Tok'ra doing long range sweeps of any known black holes within a thousand meter radius of the first Ori beachhead," Sam said looking over her notes. "We have also sent SG's 3, 5, & 11 to planets orbiting nearby black holes to look for any signs of the Supergate."

"The Jaffa have also sent several ships to scout areas they believe may be of interest to the Ori."

"Thank you, Teal'c. Let the Council know that this effort on their part is most appreciated," Landry said turning to Mitchell. "Did Dr. Jackson mention anything else about this vision that he had?"

"No," Mitchell said tapping his pen against the table. "However I'm a little bit worried about these _visions_ of his."

"How so?"

"He was completely unresponsive during the hallucination. I think that we need to find out if it was a side effect of the memory burst Vala sent to him or if it was actually Vala herself. If this is a side effect of the memory burst then we can find a way to control it. If not . . "

"Then Dr. Jackson could literally be taken over at any time, I see you're point."

"Vala has no way of knowing what Daniel is doing at a certain time or when. If we were off world and this happened, there is no way for him to be able to defend himself."

"So what exactly are you suggesting Cam?"

"What I'm suggesting is that I think until we can figure out exactly what's going on with Jackson, I don't think he should be released from the infirmary."

"Cameron – "

"Just hear me out Sam, please. I don't want to keep Jackson locked up anymore than anyone else, however, the last thing we need is for him to end up getting hurt, or worse or getting anyone else hurt or worse, just because he is Jackson."

"DanielJackson, will not be pleased."

"I know that big guy, but I know he'd understand."

"I'll talk it over with Dr. Lam," Landry said getting up from his seat. "See what she recommends before I make a decision."

"Yes, sir."

"If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with Woolsey in about twenty minutes I need to prepare for."

Mitchell watched as Landry left the room. Once the General was gone he couldn't help but notice the hard looks that he was getting from his teammates. He knew that he had just crossed a line. He knew that it wasn't gaining him any points in the leadership department. Being the new guy was difficult enough but being a new guy positioned to lead a group of seasoned veterans made respect an impossible but ongoing feat. Jackson was one of the first people to give that respect to him. To treat him like a kid brother, to welcome him into the fold. He knew that his suggestion would not win over points with the other members of SG-1 but he knew Jackson well enough in the last few months to realize that if there positions were reversed, he would do the same for him.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Dr. Lam had told him that he could leave the infirmary by lunchtime. Daniel sat there with the large pad of paper that Mitchell had left behind and began to write down everything that he had seen during his _hallucination_. He knew there was something that he had missed. Something important that Vala had been trying to tell him but he was too distracted to notice during their all too brief conversation. He had written down in almost visceral detail everything that had happened and yet whatever he had missed had apparently been missed by him over and over again. It was the result of the memory burst, he continued to tell himself, however he couldn't shake the feeling, or the desire to believe that it had actually been Vala he had been talking.

_But if it was her, why didn't she want him to know it?_

The Vala in his mind told him that she was a hallucination, a figment of his imagination. If that was the case, then why did it feel so real to him? And if it had been real, then what reason would she have to lie to him?

He went over the details again and again and nothing sank in. Sighing deeply he placed the pad of paper besides his bed and rested his head on his pillow.

"Is this a bad time?"

Looking up Daniel could see Mitchell standing in the doorway to the infirmary.

"A great time," Daniel said propping up his pillows. "I was just trying to remember everything that happened during the hallucination. Trying to figure out if I missed anything."

"And?"

"Nothing yet, which is kinda why I put the thing down. I can't wait to get out of this place and get back to my lab. I've always been able to think better there."

"That's kind of the reason why I am here."

A bad feeling erupted in Daniel's stomach. Although Mitchell did have to say anything to him, one look into the Colonel's eyes spoke volumes.

"I'm not getting out of here, am I?"

"Not yet."

"What reason was given for my being held here," Daniel asked trying desperately to hold back his emotions.

"I had made the suggestion to General Landry during the briefing that maybe it would be for the best that until we know more about the nature of you're hallucinations that you be confined to the infirmary. Dr. Lam agreed."

It was if he had been punched in the stomach.

"_You recommended I stay here_!"

"Jackson, I know that you're upset, but you need to listen."

"Upset doesn't describe how I'm feeling right now. Betrayed is more like it."

"I didn't _betray _you."

"Vala's in trouble in some far off galaxy, the Ori are coming, and there is a working Supergate out there and this is where your priorities fell? I _thought_ you were my friend."

"I _am_ your friend," Mitchell said taking a seat next to Daniel's bedside so that he could look the archaeologist in the face. "Until we know more about what's happening to you, you're vulnerable. That makes the rest of us vulnerable. We can't afford to be that way right now."

Daniel could see that Mitchell was sincere. He had to admit that becoming friends with him and been tough. He had spent all those years being friends with Jack and Teal'c it felt like this inner circle for which he could trust and depend on. When Jack left, it created a void, one that Mitchell tried desperately to fill. Daniel kind of admired Mitchell's attempt to be his newest best friend, harkening back to days when he was younger and wider eyed having an experienced person like Jack to back him up. After time had passed and Mitchell realized he didn't have to impress him all that much, they had found common ground, and began to build their friendship.

"Look, I understand that you mean well. Right now though, I need to get out of here. Too much is on the line for me to be laid up in some bed."

"Daniel," Mitchell said for the first time calling him by his first name. "If these turn out to be nothing more than images made by the memory burst we will find a way to deal with them. However if this turns out to actually be Vala you're talking to then we can't predict when the next one will come. If it happens and were in the middle of a sticky situation, what then?"

Daniel had to admit that Mitchell had a point.

"Besides, do you have any idea what General O'Neill will do to me if something happens to you?"

"What did he say to you?"

"Well he said, in so many words, that I would suffer horribly if his archaeologist should, well, die while under my command."

Daniel couldn't help but laugh at that, "That's Jack for you."

"Look, we'll try to get this over with as soon as possible. But right now, it looks like you're stuck here."

"Can you do me a favor then?"

"Name it."

"I need you to get a few things out of my lab that would help me make sense of all of this."

"You bet. What do ya need?"

"My laptop, for starters, a few more pens and a few more pads of paper."

"Will do."

"And coffee, you remember what kind, right?"

"How can I forget, it smells terrible. Be right back."

Daniel watched and waited until Mitchell was out of sight. Looking around to make sure that no one was watching he pulled out his IV and swung his feet off the side of the bed. Taking one last look to make sure no one was watching, he hopped down and hightailed out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Vala sat on the steps staring at Tomin, who was putting on his uniform.

"You know I wish that you didn't have to be a part of this."

"But I am honored," he said walking over towards her. "I never thought I could ever serve the Ori this way."

"I just feel conflicted. I mean we have never even met these unbelievers and yet were going to war with them."

Tomin placed his staff on a nearby table and took a seat beside Vala.

"Anyone who would lead us to stray from the path are evil. If they cannot be shown the light then they must be destroyed. Our very souls depend on it."

"But if we believe in the Ori and are strong in our faith, they why should we care what a bunch of people far, far away think or believe?"

"These people are corrupt, they don't care about our happiness or our beliefs. They want to spread their evil to any and everything and they will not stop unless we stop them."

Sensing the conversation was getting her nowhere Vala said no more. Tomin touched her head gently and kissed her forehead.

"I must be off. They are expecting me."

With that Vala watched Tomin leave. She waited until she knew that he was gone before heading back to the bedroom. She cared for Tomin, she would admit that much, but the more time she spent with him the more terrified of him she became. He was a devout man, a man who couldn't see reason when it was staring him in the face. She needed to let Daniel know. To warn him about what was coming. Even if it meant it would be the last thing she would ever do.

Getting out of his room was one thing but getting out of Cheyenne Mountain would be even trickier. However Daniel knew that there was no way that he was going to be confined to the infirmary while his friends needed his help. He was trying to plan exactly how he was going to do that while changing in the locker room changing into his civvies. As Daniel put on his jacket and zipped it up, he noticed that he was no longer in the locker room. Once again he found himself in the house of Tomin of Ver Isca sitting on the opposite end of a long table, apparently having dinner with Vala.

"Hello Daniel."

"Hello Vala."

"So, what have you been up to since the last time we spoke," she said taking a bite out of what looked like an apple.

"Well I was trying to break out of the mountain."

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know," he said fiddling with the forks in front of him. "Maybe it had something to do with being _confined _to the infirmary because I seem to be talking to myself."

"Sorry about that."

"Before we go any further, just tell me, is this," he said pointing around the room. "The result of the memory burst that you sent before you were disconnected from the stones or am I actually speaking to you, Vala, somewhere in the Ori galaxy."

"I can't tell you."

"What do you _mean_ you _can't_ tell _me_?"

"Its very complicated and right now I can't tell you."

"Well what can you tell me?"

"The invasion happens in three weeks."

"Three _weeks_."

"Yes, so we have no time to waste," she replied speaking with a mouth full of apple.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm not exactly sure but I've been thinking. Remember when you told me that when Anubis was going to fire the weapon that would destroy all life in the galaxy that they tried to dial in to prevent it from happening. And that you've done that successfully in past situations."

"Yes?"

"Well what if you were to dial out to the Ori Supergate before they had a chance to dial in."

"I'm not sure that it would work, but I could ask Sam, maybe she could think of something."

"Good, then I'm guessing you're not going anywhere, are you?"

"Guess not," Daniel said giving Vala a small smile.

Vala smiled back and for one moment he remembered just how beautiful she was. She looked different somehow, and Daniel couldn't quite place how. She was the same Vala that he had remembered -- just as much a pain in the ass as always. Beautiful hair, magical smile, soft silky skin that looked almost as if it were glo --

Daniel's thoughts stopped dead. He began to think back to the first vision. To what he had missed and that had been nagging him ever since.

"Oh, my god," he said taking a good look at her. "You're pregnant!"


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Thinking quickly, Vala ran over to Daniel and put her hand over his mouth.

"Shut up, it might _hear_ you."

"_What_ might hear me?" Daniel asked thru a muffled voice.

"_The baby_."

"The baby!" Daniel cried removing Vala's hand from his face. "_What do you mean 'the baby'_ and how is there _a baby_?"

"First off I want to assure that I did none of the necessary bits. I just woke up one morning, pregnant."

"People just don't wake up one morning _pregnant_ Vala."

"Well _I _did," she said walking back over to her chair and sitting down. "It was not too long after I had arrived in the Ori galaxy. I just woke up one morning and knew. I think the Ori created it."

"What would make you think that?"

"I overheard a Prior one day. I think this child might be some kind of Ori in human form. You said it yourself that they can't come here or they would feel the wrath of the Ancients, so creating a human with all their knowledge and power would certainly give them an advantage."

"It's also cheating."

"Well I never said it was fair."

Daniel walked over to Vala and pulled up a chair to sit beside her. She could see the warmth in his eyes, the overwhelming concern almost immediately. The months of fear and uncertainty that she had been experienced seemed to be wiped away in that singular moment.

"I'm glad you're here," she said softly as her hands began to caress her swollen abdomen. "Even though, technically you're not really here."

Daniel grabbed Vala's hands gently, "Just tell me one thing – "

"It's really me, Daniel" she said before he could finish.

Without thought Daniel's hands gave Vala's a small squeeze. With an expression of what Vala could only describe as joyful sadness, he looked directly into her eyes.

"Tell me everything and start at the beginning."

"Jackson's missing," Mitchell said as he walked into Sam's office.

"What?!" Sam replied looking up from her calculations. "How long has he been missing?"

"About half of an hour."

"What happened, do you know?"

"I went to talk to him, to personally break the news about why he had to stay in the infirmary. There was an argument but we eventually came to an understanding. He asked me to go to his office and pick up some supplies and when I got back he was gone."

"Have you told anyone else yet?"

"Not yet," Mitchell said as he began to pace. "Landry's still in a meeting with Woolsey and Teal'c left for Dakara to check on their progress regarding the Supergate."

"Daniel hates the infirmary," Sam said as she walked out the door of her office and down the hall.

"Who in the world likes it?" Mitchell said sprinting to catch up. "Except for maybe, Dr. Lam."

They stopped at the elevator as Sam pushed the button for up.

"You don't get it."

"No I don't seem to understand much of anything nowadays."

Sam waited until both of them were in the elevator before saying anything to him.

"Daniel _died_ in that infirmary Cameron."

"I know that he has, more than once according to record."

Frustrated Sam pushed the emergency stop button and for the first time Mitchell could see that there were tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm talking about the time that he died and ascended. For three agonizing days I watched and waited and hoped and prayed. But nothing helped. He just wasted away before our eyes. Then finally he left us. And I didn't think I could ever move on from it. A part of me _never_ has. Every time he gets injured or ends up in the infirmary all I can think about is that moment and I know that Daniel does too."

"Sam – "

"When we lost Janet, that's the first place Daniel went to. We found him just sitting there alone and in the _dark_. Everyone who knows him well enough know that he shouldn't stay in the infirmary any longer than he has to."

Pressing the button to get the elevator started again, Sam turned her back to Mitchell.

"He's not in control of his own _mind_ right now Sam, he needs to be supervised until we can find a way to help him."

When the elevator doors opened, Sam walked out briskly and turned toward Mitchell.

"I think you've done enough helping for one day," she said and walked down the hallway.

All Mitchell could do was look on as the elevator doors shut in front of him.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"I don't' remember much after getting into the rings, but the next thing I remember was waking up in a bed. Tomin had found me and believed that I had been sent to him by the gods. So I let him keep on thinking that. I was in the Ori home galaxy and had no way of knowing if the Ori knew that I was there or not. Tomin was a very sweet man. As I had mentioned earlier he had been stricken with a limp since childhood, the others lookdown on him and it had been some time since he had company. A few weeks past and I began to feel better. Then I realized that I was pregnant."

"How could you be certain?"

"Women know these kinds of things Daniel."

"Sorry, do go on."

"Anyway I knew that I had a problem because Tomin was a very devout man and if he knew that I was pregnant he would more than likely report me to Seevis, whom at the time I did not know was an Ori rebel, and they would burn me alive."

"So what did you do?"

"The only thing that I could go given the circumstances. I took advantage of the fact that Tomin was smitten with me and convinced him to marry me. That way I could sleep with him and pray the timing was close enough that he could be convinced that the baby was his."

Daniel was dumbstruck.

"You _married_ him?"

"As I told you before I had no choice. It was that or death and excuse me for not wanting to be _slapped _on an altar and _fried_."

"I'm sorry," Daniel said apologetically. "It's just a lot to take in."

"Tell me about it."

"What happened next?"

"Well, Tomin and I got married and as I had hoped the timing was right and I was able to convince him that the child belonged to him. After a few months I began to put out feelers regarding the Anti-Ori underground. That's when Seevis chained me up without food or water for three days."

"And the baby _survived_?"

"Yes," Vala said looking down at her stomach. "Part of we was kind of grateful for it. However that's when I realized that it may not be a normal child. Not too long after I overheard a Prior telling Tomin that the child did not belong to him, but was in fact, the will of the Ori."

"How did Tomin react to that?"

"Not good. But we'll get to that part later. By that time I had earned Seevis and Denya's trust. I had explained to them who I was and how I got here. That's when they showed me the communication terminal and stones that Harrid and Sallis had found in Ver Ager. It seems that every so often objects that pre-date the creation by the Ori is are dug up and taken to Celestis to be burned. However, it's seems that your speech about people from another galaxy did not fall on deaf ears. Seevis' spies managed to pass that information along to monks that he has working within the city of Celestis. They managed to intercept the terminal before it was burned and brought it to him in Ver Isca."

"That's what you used to try and contact me the first time?"

"Yes, however we got interrupted by Tomin. It seems that he had grown suspicious after his conversation with the Prior and began to follow me."

"What happened?"

"He killed Seevis, then Denya. During the confusion I was accidentally hit."

"This explains why I passed out."

"When I woke up I learned that Tomin had the Prior heal me. He was livid and accused me of betraying him. However I was able to convince him that Seevis and Denya took me against my will and that they forced me to try and communicate with the unbelievers. That I honestly believed that the child belonged to him and my pregnancy meant that the Ori chose us to partake on an important duty."

"And he _believed_ you?"

"Like I told you before he wasn't a man that had a great deal of companions over the years, he came to love me a great deal."

"How do _you _feel about him?"

Vala blushed and Daniel could tell right away that Vala cared for Tomin. However her eyes gave away her answer before she could say a word.

"I care for Tomin. He's sweet, kind and not that bad looking either. However he is a very devout follower of the Ori and I don't think that there will be anything that I could say to him that would change his mind. There are times when I wish I could convince him, to show him that what the Ori preach is false. But if you're asking if I love him, I do. But not in a romantic way."

Daniel couldn't help but feel strangely relieved by that. He could tell by her smile that she did indeed care for Tomin, and it hurt her that she could not give more to him that he had given to her. It seemed that time in the Ori galaxy had been hard on Vala. However it was the kind of hard that usually led to one becoming a better person. Vala gave Daniel a smile and tightened her grip on his hands.

"You need to get me out of here," she whispered, her voice cracking ever so slightly.

Daniel got down on his knees to where he was eye level with Vala. Taking her head in his hands, he kissed her forehead.

"I promise. I'll bring you home."

Stifling back tears Vala hugged Daniel and for the first time in months, she felt truly safe.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

By the time anyone had been told that Daniel was missing, he had apparently returned to the infirmary on his own. When Dr. Lam questioned him on it, he stated merely that he needed to take a walk and clear his head. Mitchell was glad for that small favor, since neither Sam nor Teal'c had said much of anything to him when the archaeologist was no where to be found. He screwed up, _big time_, and he was well aware of it. Sam had made a valid point. He too knew what it was like to stare death in the face and he came out of the experience a different man. For Daniel, who had died more times that anyone at the SGC, it had to be more than a bit unsettling. Walking into the infirmary he fully expected to see both Sam and Teal'c sitting by Daniel's side and was surprised to see they were no where to be found. Instead Daniel was sitting by himself, reading a very large, very heavy looking book.

"Jackson?"

"Hey," Daniel said closing the book and placing it on the table besides him.

"So I hear you went on a little field trip?"

"Yeah, nothing major just needed to get some air."

"Don't lie," Mitchell said taking a seat beside Daniel. "You were trying to escape."

"There was that too."

"What changed your mind."

"I spoke with Vala again."

"Really?" Mitchell said trying to hold back his surprise. "What did she say? When did it happen?"

"I was in the locker room, all ready to leave, when I found myself having lunch with Vala. We started talking, mostly about things that have happened to her while in the Ori galaxy and about the pending crusade."

"And?"

"We have about three weeks."

"Three _weeks_?"

"By all estimations. She said that there are armies, on dozens of worlds filled with people willing to fight."

"Damn."

"Tell me about it. Teal'c went back to Dakara to check on the status of the Supergate while Sam is working on a way to try and dial into it before they can dial out."

"Um, hold on a second," Mitchell replied as Daniel's words finally hit him. "Why would we want to _that_?"

"We've done it several times with the Goa'uld. We dial in to a specific location so they can't dial out to this galaxy. Kind of like a way to prevent the invasion?"

"Yeah, but this gate is different than the ones that we're used to, are we sure it would even _work_?"

"Sam's making a simulation based on data that we collected from the original Supergate. Hopefully we can find out if such a thing is possible."

Mitchell could tell that there was something else on Daniel's mind. He wasn't sure exactly what it was but he had been around the man enough to know when he got what Sam called his 'bothered face' which meant he was upset about something and didn't feel like talking about it. Mitchell, on the other hand, had noticed that no one really got him to speak up on what was bothering him either. They had been around him long enough to know it made him uncomfortable and did their best not to pry. Although he never questioned it, to him, it just felt wrong somehow.

He wasn't sure if it was due to the situations that they saw on a regular basis or if all the other members of SG-1 were dealing with their own stuff to not want to deal with anyone else's, but Mitchell knew that when it came right down to it you don't keep stuff in. It would just come back and nip you in the ass when you weren't looking. He had tried to shut down after his accident but in the end, the courage that he saw in his father on a daily basis lead him to keep going – to keep fighting. It was also on this courage that he let his inner pain out for the world to see. It had been refreshing and ultimately the strength of his heart that kept him alive.

For Daniel, however, it seemed as if he had the weight of the universe on his shoulders. It's hard to believe that he wasn't always this way. To read back to the mission reports of the early days of SG-1 and to hear about the wide-eyed and curious guy that he was . . . it was almost unfathomable that the young man whom he read about and the man who lay in the bed before him were the same person. However, he had been a solider long enough to know what combat does to people. It made him kind of sad to know of the toll that almost a decade at the SGC had cost Dr. Daniel Jackson.

Even during their occasional basketball games or movie nights, the burden Daniel carried was still there. Maybe less prevalent that it was on a regular basis, but always there. There was only one time where Mitchell had noticed that the burden Daniel carried seemed to disappear, and the internal struggle he was dealing with took a back seat. And that was all thanks to Vala. She brought out a different side of Daniel, albeit it was thru a combination of utter annoyance and anger, but it was something that seemed to have been missing. All one had to do was look into the man's eyes when she was around and it was there. For as annoying a pain in the ass that Vala was, and for all the fighting, nit-picking and sexual innuendos, Daniel had somehow become more alive in her presence.

That spark had been noticeably absent since the day that Vala destroyed the Ori beachhead, her fate unknown. It was the uncertainty that he could tell was bothering Jackson the most. As it did when most people noticed that someone with whom they cared about was gone. It was the uncertainty that slowly killed most people and he knew that the same had held for Jackson. Going only on his instinct, Mitchell decided to broach the subject.

"What else did Vala tell you?"

Mitchell could see instantly of Daniel's discomfort and knew that the archaeologist was going to try and change the subject.

"Nothing important."

"Jackson," Mitchell said in a strong and commanding tone of voice. "I can tell there's something else. Now, it's not going to do you any good to keep it all up inside like that. You can _tell _me."

Daniel looked at Mitchell curiously, "Is this newfound interest in my well being legitimate or are you just trying to make it up to me for having me confined to the infirmary?"

Mitchell looked back at Daniel kind of offended.

"First off_, I_ did not have you _confined_! I merely _suggested_ that until we find out more about your condition we shouldn't have you traipsing about the galaxy. And secondly, _I_ brought this up because _I _can tell by the way that you're acting that something _else_ happened and I know that you need to talk about it. And I am not trying to make up any– "

"Vala's pregnant," Daniel mumbled halting Mitchell in his tracks.

"_What?"_


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

"Back it up for just a second, did you just say that _Vala is pregnant_?"

Daniel nodded.

"Oh, my god," Mitchell said running his finger thru his hair. A few seconds had passed before a wild look came across the man's face. "_Oh, my god_!"

"What?"

"The kid," he said in a quick almost panicky tone. "It's not y–"

Daniel gave Mitchell a confused look before realizing what he was trying to say.

"No!" Daniel spat out quickly before he could regain his composure. "No. Vala's child is not mine."

Mitchell felt a strange mixture of relief and concern as that fact didn't seem to pleasing to Jackson. It was then Mitchell realized what had been bothering Daniel. Vala was pregnant.

"What did she tell you about it?"

Daniel gave a heavy sigh. Mitchell could tell that it was really bothering him.

"Cliff notes version is this: Vala ended up being ringed to a planet called Ver Isca where she was rescued by a crippled man named Tomin. Tomin thought the Ori had sent Vala to him so he did his best to take care of her. It was during this time Vala discovered that she was pregnant. She knew that as a devout follower of the Ori Tomin who have her punished for getting pregnant out of wedlock so she convinced him to marry her in the hopes of sleeping with him and passing the child off as his own."

Mitchell looked at Daniel in confusion, "So you're saying that according to Vala it's an immaculate conception?"

"Yes, she thinks the Ori were involved."

"Ok. So Vala's carrying Darth Vader. So why do I get the feeling that you don't believe that?"

"I know that Vala would have no reason to lie to me. I honestly think that she thinks that the baby was immaculately conceived."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming on."

"But, I don't know how that would be possible. There is no evidence anywhere of Ascended beings having the ability to create life in that way."

"You think that something else happened?"

Daniel nodded at Mitchell a pained expression growing across his face.

"And it kills me to even think it. All I know is that however the child was conceived or why, we cannot leave her there."

"I know," Mitchell said in a sad tone of voice. "But we don't have anyway to do that."

"If Sam can find a way for us to dial the Supergate before the Ori have the chance, then we can send a ship thru to the other side to try and find her."

Mitchell could see the desperation in his eyes, but knew that what he was purposing was not possible.

"Look, Daniel. I know that you want to get Vala back and it's understandable since she means a lot to you. But you have to think this thru."

"I have."

"The Supergate doesn't work like a regular Stargate. You just can't dial in and out as you please. Once you dial in, it's more than likely going to stay open to the Ori galaxy. Once you go in, you more than likely won't be coming back out."

"I know that. I know that if I get thru to the Ori galaxy, that I probably won't ever get back, but I just can't leave her there. She reached out across galaxies for me to find her. To bring her home. As impossible as it may seem right now. I have to at least try."

Mitchell wasn't sure if it was his yearn to help Daniel or the pleading, almost desperate tone of voice but he knew as insane it sounded he had to help.

"Count me in."

Daniel looked at Mitchell in disbelief.

"_Really_?"

"Granted it is a totally insane idea, however, since when has that ever stopped us."

Daniel looked at Mitchell, a wide smile coming across his face.

"Thanks, Cameron."

"No problem, Daniel. Just tell me where we begin."  
The pratically deserted streets combined with the cold and fog made Vala's trek that much more frightening. Even though she had every confidence that Daniel would be able to find his way there, she wanted to do everything she could to find out more about the upcoming invasion. She had to head to the training ground where the soldiers were training and the plans were being made. She had to find something, anything that would help. Coming to the break in the woods, she raised the hood of her cloak and looked both ways before stepping into the thick of trees.

Tomin watched from a distance. His eyes welling with tears of pain and anger. With a stout resolve he turned around. Standing before him was a Prior. The same Prior who had healed him of his childhood affliction and had informed him of the importance of the child his wife had carried.

"You were right," he said, his voice cracking ever slightly.

"She lives, only because of the child." 

"And the child is Orici?" 

"Yes. She will bring forth our armies into the galaxies of the unbelievers and will bring Origin to all those touched by evil."

"How long before she is born?"

"Three weeks to the day."

"What do we do until then?"

"We keep our eyes and ears open to agents of evil."

Tomin looked at the Prior in surprise.

"Do you believe that they would try to come here?"

"One is already on his way."

"Is there not anyway we can stop them?"

"Yes," said the Prior with wide, menacing eyes. "We will find him and kill him."


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Vala would stop every few meters and peer around her shoulder. At the slightest hint of movement she would duck quickly between a group of bushes or trees. Waiting until the noise passed she would peek out to ensure that the perimeter was safe before she made her way down the road again. She knew that her current mission relied heavily on stealth, something that is not so easy to achieve if one is eight months pregnant. However she could not fail. Daniel was across the stars in another galaxy working on a way to rescue her at this very moment so she couldn't allow the fact that she was pregnant hinder her plans to seek out more information about the coming invasion. Besides, she could definitely use the incident as a way to score loads of chocolate ice cream and foot rubs from Daniel when she was rescued.

It was truly a cold night; one of the coldest Vala had ever experience since coming to Ver Isca. Shivering slightly she continued to move down the dirt path that led to a cliff face that overlooked the training ground. As she made her way past what seemed like another endless string of large trees she heard a loud noise coming from the direction in which she was heading. Thinking fast, she nearly dove into a set of nearby bushes. As she lay hidden the footsteps turned into voices, familiar voices. After concentrating on them with what seemed all the strength that she had, the recognition came to her. It was Tomin. He was talking to someone, who from the tone of voice alone, Vala recognized as a Prior.

"Do we know when the agent of evil is coming?"

"Within the next week," the Prior menacingly.

"Do we know his reasons for coming?"

"I would have thought, Tomin of Ver Isca, that such information would be relatively clear."

"He has come for the Orici?"

"Yes."

"Do we know how to find him?"

"That will also be relatively easy. We know this individual by name. The Ori consider him the most dangerous agent that evil could send to us and stopping him in his quest will bring to the one responsible for it, everlasting glory."

"I am willing to take up such a cause."

"I am aware. Your tenacity and desire to serve the Ori are unmatched by any other warrior that we have. It is why the Ori have chosen you to kill the agent before he can complete his task."

"You said that you knew of this agent by name?"

"Yes. Where he is from he is known as Daniel Jackson of Earth."

Vala gave out a loud audible gasp that caused Tomin and the Prior to stop in their tracks. Before she could react and get away, the bushes that she had hid behind burst into flames.

"So, you're saying that this could work?" Mitchell asked, astonished that he hadn't been drawn and quartered for even making the suggestion.

Sam gave him what he believed was a small smile before continuing with her presentation. Clicking the remote, she switched over to the next slide.

"Dr. Lee and I have been going over the data that we collected from the first Ori beachhead. We believe that if we had any chance of dialing the Supergate, we would have to be in the closest proximity to the Ori galaxy. That's why it hasn't been working. Like the interstellar drift we encountered with the original gate of Earth, the Ori galaxy is just too far away for us to dial from here. I'm thinking that if we maybe head to the Pegasus galaxy we may encounter a better chance of dialing the Supergate."

"So what do we need and when do we go?"

Mitchell's excitement turned sour upon noticing Sam's expression.

"What? Did I react too soon?"

"A little," Sam said as she pinched her finger and thumb together in a playful manner.

Mitchell had noticed that every since Daniel had returned safe and sound both Sam and Teal'c seemed to lighten up on him. He didn't know if Daniel had said something to them or if they had realized that they had been a little too harsh about what he had been trying to do.

"Before we get too excited," Sam said giving Mitchell a slight wink. "We need to work out a few kinks."

"Such as?"

"Well first off we need a Stargate that we can use in the Pegasus galaxy to dial the Supergate, we need a black hole to circumvent the connection between Pegasus and the Ori galaxy and the most problematic, we need a power source, a really big power source, in order to generate enough energy to create a stable wormhole."

"What about sending a ship thru?"

The apprehension was visible on Sam's face immediately.

"Cameron, I'm not so sure about that."

"Not so sure as it can't be done or not so sure as you don't think it's a good idea?"

"A bit of both."

"Look, Sam. Believe it when I say this is something that Jackson and I have been over already. There is no way in the world that anything or anybody is going to stop him from bringing her home."

"There's a good chance that he'll never come back."

"There's a good chance we may never come back each and every time that we step thru that gate but it never stops us. We just need to have a little trust that what he is doing is for the best and faith that he'll find a way back home."

"He seems to have a knack for that."

"Yes, he does."

"We have already contacted Dr. McKay in Atlantis who is using long range sensors to pick up the closest black hole in the closest region of Pegasus to the Ori Supergate."

"And if we find it?"

"Then we will be able to try the hypothesis. Either way we are heading for Atlantis within the next week."

"Well I know Daniel will be pleased with that."

"Definitely."

"I'm meant not only have we found a way to enter the Ori galaxy but he gets to go to Atlantis to do it."

"There's just one thing we need to sort out first."

Mitchell felt pensive. He was hoping to avoid another conversation like they had in the elevator.

"And what would that be?"

"Which one of us is going to tell Daniel?"

Mitchell laughed, "You tell him. But I definitely want to be there. Can't wait to see the look on his face when he realizes he's finally going to Disneyland."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Daniel Jackson lay in a bed onboard the Odyssey, Dr. Lam's orders, as they made their way to the Pegasus Galaxy. Under her watchful supervision, the only stipend that she would allow for him to even dream of going to Atlantis, he lay there bored out of his mind. Unable to read any of the mission reports and only allowed to be debriefed with information when it was absolutely necessary, he sat skimming thru his mission journal in an attempt to stave off climbing the walls.

Day One

I'm going to Atlantis!

With Vala in the Ori galaxy and Jack stuck in Washington there is nothing to keep me from going this time around. Nothing.

Dr. Rodney McKay arrived thru the Stargate this afternoon. I have to say that I haven't really missed him all that much since he left Earth. His shrill sense of self importance, a quality to which some found endearing, was ever present upon his arrival. Within a matter of minutes he immiedately shot down any hopes that we may of had to reasonably believe that it was possible for the rescue mission to even get off the ground. He had pointed out, what seemed rather obvious, was the error of how we were going to travel to the Ori galaxy thru the Supergate, if such gate was being used to block the Ori from sending any more ships thru. Sam gave him a menacing stare and vowed that she was working on it. The two traded barbs and I feigned a headache to get out of the room. Going back to the infirmary is better than listening to the two of them go at it.

Speaking of the infirmary . . .

Dr. Lam is keeping me confined to the infirmary and is uncertain whether to give me the greenlight to travel to Atlantis. I do all but beg to be allowed to go along. After a talk with Landry she gives me the go ahead, on the conditions that I stay in the infirmary while on Earth and for the entire length of the trip onboard the Odyssey to Atlantis. I am also to check in regularly with Dr. Carson Beckett, Atlantis CMO, who will have the final say in whether or not I get to go.

I understand that this connection I have to Vala is putting my life in danger, and I understand the risks that I am putting my teammates in by going along. However I feel that the risks are worth it.

If you would have asked me after first meeting Vala that I would be doing this kind of thing, for her, I would have never believed you. All I saw of Vala then was a lunatic who kidnapped me, endangered my friends . . . a fruitcake.

But that's changed.

I don't know how, or why or when but it has. When Vala first disappeared, when the Ori gate was destroyed, I refused to write her off. Although the odds were against it, I believed somehow she'd found a way to survive. And it turned out I was right.

I have tried concentrating to see if I could re-establish my connection to her with no luck. I am trying not to get worried as it hasn't really worked for me in the past. However, I cannot help but feel a pit in my stomach.

And the feeling had grown larger as each day had passed. He tried so hard to ignore it but deep down inside he knew.

Something was wrong.

The room was dark. Cold. Despite remembering little after overhearing Tomin's conversation, Vala didn't need much to put together what had happened. She had spent the better part of a week chained to a bed in what looked like quarters of one of the Ori ships. Servants had come in occasionally to feed her and escort her to the bathroom but otherwise she was helpless.

Despite her current situation, her mind worried for Daniel. This whole thing had been a trap for him and she had fell right into it. She had wondered if Seevis and the others had been in on it or if they too were just unwilling pawns in a greater scheme. She had a horrible feeling growing inside of her and despite her attempts to qualm it, things only grew. If she didn't find a way, and soon, she feared that Daniel would be killed.

Vala hadn't seen Tomin since that day. She knew that if she tried there was a way she could reach him. Convince him to let her go so that she could make her way back to the stones, if they hadn't been found, and warn Daniel not to come.

Daniel was the first person to ever truly believe in her. Her. No schemes. No ploys to get into her pants. Nothing. He had rejected her attempts to use him and urged her to look within to find herself. He encouraged her and supported her. He caused her to act out and look out for the welfare of others before herself. He was her hero.

Now, it was her turn to be his.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Day Two_

_I can't contact her._

_I don't know why I feel as if I can because she has always been the one to contact me. However, I feel compelled to do so. I am not sure if it's the fact that I haven't heard from her since our last encounter or the fact that I couldn't get rid of the pit in my stomach._

_Something is wrong._

_I am trying to hide these feelings from the others, especially Dr. Lam. No reason why I should give them reasons not to let me continue on with the mission. Speaking of missions, Sam has had no luck in trying to find a way to travel to the Ori galaxy. According to Landry, the IOA has put priority on closing the Supergate and not the rescue mission, so if she cannot find a way soon, then all of this would have been for nothing. It can't end --_

"Knock. Knock."

Breaking his concentration away from his journal, Daniel looked up to see Mitchell standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Cam."

Taking a look at the book in Daniel's hand, Cameron faltered slightly before taking a seat next to his bedside.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"No, just trying to bide my time since I am not allowed to do anything else."

"Well, that's kinda one of the reason's I'm here. I was wondering if you gave anymore thought into the rescue mission."

"Well, unless we are able to find a way to both block and destroy the Ori Supergate then any planning on our parts would be moot, wouldn't it?"

"Sam's still working on it, and let me tell you she is as determined as ever to find a way. I think it has a lot to do with McKay's incessant droning that it can't be done."

Daniel laughed, "He always seems to bring out the competitive streak in her."

"What I had in mind was who was going to be going with us. Now, the best chance we have of getting thru the Supergate undetected is by going in a small vessel."

"Easier to avoid detection."

"So I brought the subject up to McKay and he has suggested using one of Atlantis' Puddle Jumpers."

"That's a good idea; it has cloaking technology and Ancient weapons. What did he say was the capacity?"

"Anywhere from 6 to 8 on the safe side, ten tops."

"So that means whomever we take with us will need to be essential to the mission."

"Sam wants to go but I reminded her that we're going to need her at Atlantis if this is going to work."

"Well, we for starters need someone with the Ancient gene to fly the ship."

Mitchell gave Daniel a quizzical look," Why can't you do it?"

"Because I don't know how to fly, I'm an archaeologist not a pilot."

"You've flown an Al'Kesh before, haven't you?"

"Yes," Daniel nodded. "But this is different?"

"How so?"

Daniel looked as if he was going to respond before stopping himself. Sighing, he placed the journal on the bedside table and looked Mitchell straight in the eye.

"I want to tell you something, as long as you promise that it stays between us."

"You can count on me, my lips are sealed."

"I've never said this to anyone – not even Jack – although I tried to bring it up to Jack once. But that didn't go so well."

"What happened?"

"Well, he seemed to completely ignore what I said and asked if I was hungry."

"What exactly did you _say_?"

Daniel hesitated, he wasn't sure that he wanted to continue to with what he had to say. However he knew that if Mitchell was going to understand, he had to know.

"I don't remember much about my ascension and part of me is glad for that. However, it's also an impossible burden. To have lost an entire year of my life, it's hard to comprehend. That's one of the reasons I have tried to not talk about it."

"I'm sensing there is a but in there somewhere."

"But, I can't shake the fact that there was something being kept from me. Something I did or I knew that Oma didn't want me to remember."

"Have you tried remembering?"

"More times than I can count but I keep coming up empty with nothing more than the feeling that I can't shake."

"Maybe the reason you're not remembering because deep down, you don't want to."

"What are you talking about?" Daniel said angrily. "Of course I want to."

"Well from what you just said, it sounded like, and don't get me wrong, that you're scared to."

"I'm not —"

"I know what you're going thru," Mitchell said giving Daniel a small smile. "The crash and everything that followed was one of the best and worst experiences of my life. The isolation, the fear – man, there were days that I wanted to just lay down and die because I felt it would be easier than having to deal with any of it. I didn't though. You want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I had my family, my friends. People around me who wouldn't let me give up. Who helped me see past the fear, the anguish -- to a life filled with better things ahead. You have that. All of us, we're friends. We're your family. We'll be here for you no matter what happens."

Daniel laughed again, only Mitchell noticed it wasn't so much for amusement but the bitter kind. The kind of laugh you give when someone says something dumb and you know better.

"What?"

"It's just – that's the problem. I don't have anyone to confide in. Ever since I came back people have been avoiding talking about my ascension like it was the plague. Everyone is walking tip-toes around me, trying not to bring it up, and curtailing the subject as quick as possible when it does. Before it was easier to deal with because it wasn't in my face all the time but since the Ori showed up –"

"You can't avoid it."

"And they can't either. Although they do try. I once told Jack, right when we first made contact with the Ori, that they scared me. That for the first time in my life, for this first time since I step thru that gate, something left me shaken, left me terrified to my core, and you know what he said to me?"

An uncomfortable realization hit Mitchell like a ton of bricks, "He asked if you were hungry?"

Anger began to swell up in Daniel's voice the likes of which Mitchell had never heard before.

"Jack is one of my closest friends. I've known him for over a decade and he is one of the few people with whom I would gladly lay down my life for. He's someone with whom I have been thru so much with, someone with whom I trust more than anything. Hell, when I was dying of radiation poisoning and wanted to ascend – it was Jack with whom I reached out and begged to let me die. He's my best friend. And here I am, having been thru this horrendous experience that left me completely rattled and all he can say to me is if I was hungry!"

Mitchell said nothing. He could only watch as a gamut of emotions ran thru Daniel's face. It was obvious that the stress of the recent week, combined with the long and pent up buried emotions were coming to a head.

"I have to find her," Daniel said in what was a barely audible whisper. "I don't think I would be able to handle it if I never saw – "

"Don't worry," Mitchell said placing a reassuring hand on Daniel's shoulder. "We'll find her."

Daniel looked at Mitchell, his eyes conveying a steely determination.

"No matter what?"

Mitchell gave Daniel a reassuring nod.

"No matter what."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Several hours had passed and Cameron Mitchell found himself still haunted by his conversation with Daniel. He had to admit that when he had encouraged the archaeologist to open up, he wasn't expecting the flood gates to be bursting at the seams. He found himself where he had been ever since, wallowing in the commissary nursing a large cup of blue Jell-O. Part of him, and he had to admit that it was the largest part, wanted to confront Sam with what he had been told. After everything that they had been thru it had been disgraceful to think that they had merely cast Daniel aside and forgot all about him. What stopped him was the fact that if he had said something, Daniel would never have forgiven him, and right now it seems that the good Dr. Jackson needed someone in his corner. So he swallowed his anger and nursed his resentment with strange wobbly blue squares of fruity goodness. So caught up was he in stuffing his face and drowning his sorrows that he didn't notice when Bill Lee came bursting thru the doors and plopped down in front of him. It wasn't until Dr. Lee actually removed the cup of sugary sweetness from his face did he acknowledge his presence. And when he did, Mitchell found himself struck by the large grin on the man's face. Sporting what he could only ascertain to be a smile similar to that worn by children on Christmas morning, Dr. Lee began to speak before a greeting could be formed.

"I was working in the South Lab, because the bickering between Carter and McKay was driving me crazy, and I guess I fell asleep but when I woke up it came to me and I realized that it could be possible so I looked and by gods, there it was. Do you know what this means?"

Mitchell paused momentarily, taking a look at Dr. Lee as he allowed what he had just been told to sink in.

"Bill, what the hell are you talking about!"

Bill sighed and opened a really large manila folder filled with star charts and other technical specs.

"I went to the South Lab to do research on a way to get Daniel to the Ori galaxy. Carter and McKay are too preoccupied fighting or looking for a way to disable the gate to even consider helping Daniel out. So I started looking for ways that we could both block the gate and get a ship thru."

"And"

"And nothing, its not possible. Every simulation I tried ended up the same way. We can either disable the gate or dial in to get a ship thru, not both."

"So, you're saying that its hopeless."

"It seemed that way, but I wasn't going to take no as an answer, impossible things always seem possible when Daniel is involved."

Mitchell smiled softly, "Yes, they do."

"So I kept running the simulations with the same result each time. I was working so long, I ended up falling asleep in the lab. When I was asleep I had this thought that there had to be more than one Supergate. If the Ori are planning this huge invasion, it seemed ridiculous to only have one means of access to our galaxy. So when I woke up I did a broad spectrum analysis given the criteria needed to created a Supergate and I hit the jackpot."

Mitchell again paused, only this time he could barely contain the excitement in his voice.

"Are you telling me, that you found _another_ Supergate?"

Even before Dr. Lee could finish his nod, Mitchell was up on his feet jumping up and down like a man who won the lottery.

"Yeah, that's the kinda sign I was talking about man!" he cried pulling the unsuspecting scientist into a large bear hug.

So caught up was Mitchell in his enjoyment that he failed to hear the heavily muffled words that Dr. Lee was trying to say. Suddenly taken aback by his outburst Mitchell tore himself away from the good doctor.

"Sorry."

"That's okay," Dr. Lee replied retaking his seat and motioning for Mitchell to do the same. When both men were settled down, he sighed and removed from his manila folder a large star chart that looked as if it was a map of an entire galaxy. "This is a technical diagram of a quadrant of space in the Pegasus Galaxy, and that large blob that I circled in the middle of that quadrant is the Supergate."

"How can you be sure?"

"It fits all the criteria we know about the creation of a Supergate, a planet going nova, the presence of a black hole and recently there have been strange energy spikes similar to that which we located in the Milky way. Now so far there hasn't been any sign of activity in or out of the gate in question."

"Which means either it's not active?"

"No, I am guessing that they are waiting for orders to make their grand entrance. Now, from my other calculations I figure that I may be able to calibrate a dialing device on board one of the puddle jumpers to dial into the Ori galaxy."

"But the Ori galaxy is far, far away, would that require a massive amount of energy to even create an event horizon?"

Nodding, Dr. Lee pulled out another set of charts and place them in front of Mitchell, pointing decidedly at small blurry objects as he talked.

"From my readings, the Supergate is giving off a massive ionic charge, giving off a massive energy spike every few hours or so. Now if we can figure out the exact pattern of these burst we can rig a timer to a 'gate buster and detonate it at the same time. The combined energy along should give us enough of a charge to dial to the other side.

"Have you talked with the SGC about this?"

"Not yet, I wanted to run it by you first."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think the SGC will give us permission to go on this mission."

"Why not?"

Dr. Lee pulled out the last of his star charts and set it down in front of Mitchell. The Colonel's eyes widened with what he saw.

"Please tell me this isn't --"

"I'm afraid so. Our Supergate is located smack in the middle of Wraith controlled space."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"It's in the middle of Wraith controlled space!" Daniel screamed, trying desperately to keep his frustration in check.

"Would you quite down," Mitchell replied giving Daniel a scolding look. "The last thing that we need is for anyone to find about this before we've had a chance to come up with a plan."

"What plan?" Daniel whispered. "Its in the middle of _Wraith controlled space_!"

"So, what, you're gonna give up on trying to bring her back?"

"No," Daniel said with a large sigh. "Its just, things keep getting worse and it just seems as if the fates are against me on this one."

"Since when do you believe in fate?"

"I don't, which just goes to show how frustrating this all is."

Mitchell was hoping that this news would give some hope to the archaeologist, however it only seemed to further depress his spirit.

"Look, we'll reach Atlantis in less than two days. When we get there, and Dr. Lee can get a better idea of what we're looking at, we'll go from there. It's not as hopeless as it seems."

Daniel couldn't help but smile. Since confiding in Mitchell his frustrations regarding his friends he found himself creating a surprisingly close bond with the younger Colonel. It reminded him a bit of the friendship that he had with Jack. Although nothing could, or would _ever_ replace that, the distance between the two had cause their bond to wane and left Daniel feeling as if there wasn't a soul in the galaxy with whom he could trust. Now, and with some time, he felt that Mitchell could turn out to be just as good a friend and that was one of the best things to come out of this entire ordeal. He was about to thank Mitchell for standing by him like he had when he was overcome with unfathomable pain.

Within minutes he found himself back in Ver Isca. Back in the same small house that he had been all those days ago. Frantically, he began to look around and there, sitting on a chair beside him, was Vala.

"Hello, Daniel."

Without saying a word, Daniel put his arms around Vala and hugged her tightly. Momentarily taken aback by his show of affection, Vala did nothing, but soon fell into his embrace.

"I've been so worried about you," he said pulling away from her and caressing the side of her face.

"I know," Vala said as she tried to hold back the tears. "It wasn't safe."

"Are you okay? Tell me what's going on?"

"Hush, Daniel. We haven't got a great deal of time and there is a lot that I need to tell you."

"You can tell me anything."

Vala gave Daniel a soft, almost menacing grin, "I know."

Holding her face in her hands, she leaned over and whispered into Daniel's ear.

_Daniel!_

Daniel's eyes open with a start, he looked around to see himself clutching his forehead and Mitchell looking at him with a worried stare.

"What the _hell_ was that?"

"Vala," Daniel said as he began to massage his temples.

"You talked to Vala, what did she say? Is she all right?"

Removing his hand from his head, Daniel looked at Mitchell with what could only be described as stealthy determination.

"She told me where to find her, and now that I know, I have a plan."

Cameron Mitchell practically ran the distance from the infirmary to the North Laboratory. He was hoping beyond hope that Sam wasn't there because he didn't think that he could have come up with an excuse to send her away that wouldn't rouse her suspicions. Thankfully for him there was only one person in the North Lab, and that was just the person he had been wanting to see.

"Ah, Colonel Mitchell, just the person that I wanted to see."

"Not now Dr. McKay, there is something that I need to talk to you about."

"Well, whatever it is I'm certain it can wait, I have a question to ask you regarding Colonel Carter."

"Rodney!"

Taken aback by the Colonel's tone of voice, Rodney was preparing a rather indignant reply when the Colonel's words cut him off.

"Atlantis is in danger."

"What?" Rodney said looking at Mitchell with confusion. "How?"

"It seems there's a Supergate deep in the heart of Wraith controlled space. Dr. Lee found it while looking for a way to get Daniel to the Ori galaxy."

"Well, why are we just standing here," Rodney said getting up from his seat and heading towards the door. "We have to tell someone."

"And we will," Mitchell said grabbing the good doctors arm. "We think we may have a way to keep the Ori from coming to Atlantis."

"And what would that be?"

"You need to listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. Do not interrupt or comment on anything until I am finished. You got that?"

Rodney nodded.

"Good. Now I want you to send a message to Atlantis and I need you to tell them word for word everything that I am about to say.

"How are we certain that it has worked?"

Tomin turned to face the Prior, worry etched in the line of his eyes.

"It worked because the Orici has made sure of it."

"How do we know that she did not warn him. How can we be sure that Vala didn't break thru."

_Because Vala sleeps_.

The soft, almost echoing voice was barely audible but the power that emanated from it nearly shook the room. Tomin turned and within moments he found himself kneeling on the floor in fear.

_Look at me. Do not be afraid._

Tomin did as he was told, he looked up, his heart racing and his body trembling at the sight before him. It was Vala speak, but the words out of her mouth were not Vala's. Her eyes were a strange and sickly orange color. He knew without being told, whom it was that stood before him. It was the Orici. A few seconds passed before the orange of Vala's eyes faded. Gasping audibly she looked around confused, almost uncertain of where she was or what had just happened. Then like a bolt of thunder, it hit her, and when it did she screamed.

And she would not stop.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

John Sheppard found himself staring at Elizabeth Weir from across the briefing room table, a mixture of concern plastered across her face.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Elizabeth smiled at John, "There aren't enough pennies in existence to cover what I am thinking right now."

"I know what you mean, as if the problem of the Wraith isn't bad enough, now we have to worry about a possible Ori invasion too. It doesn't seem like we can catch a break."

Elizabeth shook her head, "No, it doesn't."

"Which is why we have to hope that Vala gave Dr. Jackson correct information, because if this works, we have one less problem to deal with."

"You do know that the SGC and IOA have not given the authority for us to partake on such a mission and if we go forward, you understand that this mission will not be and never was sanctioned by either of them."

Sheppard nodded.

"I know, it never happened. Whatever we do, it doesn't exist."

"This is why I only told you first. I know for a fact that everyone here would be more than willing to do anything for Dr. Jackson, hell, half of them wish that he was the one heading Atlantis instead of me. However we can and probably will get into a lot of trouble for this."

"You can bet Woolsey will serve all of our asses on plates."

"Which is why I think the less people involved the better. You know that you don't have to be involved John, you will probably end up court marshaled."

"Elizabeth, I would have gotten court marshaled for half the crap that I do here on a daily basis. This is no different. Atlantis is being threatened. I don't see another option. Do you?"

"No."

"Well, that settles that then."

"You do also understand that if you choose to accompany Dr. Jackson that it's more than likely a one way mission to Ori controlled space."

"I know that too but the same could have been said about Atlantis. It may have taken a year but we got back in touch. I know its going to be difficult and I know that it seems impossible that we will ever make it home, but when has that ever stopped us?"

"Never."

"Exactly. And besides they need someone to fly the ship and we both know that I'm the best person to have behind the wheel and one of the best chances we have of getting home."

Weir took a moment to let what Sheppard say sink in. He was right. If this mission was to have any success they needed someone with the ability to fly a Puddle Jumper well and quite frankly John was the only person she could think of for the mission given the circumstances they faced.

"So who will you be bringing with you?"

"Well we have Dr. Jackson and Colonel Mitchell. Rodney wanted to come but Dr. Jackson nixed the idea stating that they needed his expertise working with Colonel Carter on the other gate. Bringing anyone else from the SGC would seem too suspicious so the rest of the crew has to be made up of people from Atlantis. I am thinking maybe Zelenka for tech support and Carson as medical."

"Who else do we need?"

"Well for the kind of mission we are leading the less people in a Jumper the better. I am thinking at the most nine, leaving room for Vala. So we could probably fill up the rest of the detail with some grunts for protection detail."

"Anyone in particular?"

"Not yet, but I got some ideas. I want to run this by Zelenka and Carson first. However I doubt they'll say no. I mean, it's not every day that you get to blow up a planet filled with Wraith in order to create a one way wormhole to another galaxy."

Tomin sat outside Vala's chamber door lost in thought. It had been hours before her screams had subsided and only then because her throat too raw and too bloodied to continue. His mind lingered on about what he had just witnessed. Not the splendor of being in the presence of the Orici, no, that was somewhere that he dared not to dwell. No, his thoughts were on Vala's reaction to realizing that she had just sent the Agent of Evil, this Daniel Jackson, into a trap. He found the entire incident unsettling. There was something more to her reaction, something in her eyes that betrayed her. Something that filled Tomin with feelings that he had never before felt. Getting up from his chair, he turned and entered Vala's chambers. Vala looked up at him, tears welling from her eyes as she lay chained to her bed. Her tears only made him more determined to do what he was about to do. Giving it no second though he walked over to Vala and wrapped his arms around her throat. As Vala struggled in his grasp Tomin looked at Vala straight in the eyes and to her fear, there was nothing but venom staring back.

"_You used me_! I took you in! I nursed you to health! All the while you charmed me like the wicked temptress that you are. You made me fall in love with you. Not because you _loved_ me but in order to protect yourself. I took you in my home, _my bed_ and I came to love you more than my own life. When you told me you were with child, I couldn't help but keep thinking, that the Ori had looked down on me for all of my years of devotion and blessed me. But you're no blessing, you're a _curse_. _You never loved me_! It was never about me, was it? It was always about you . . . and _him_, wasn't it? You _never_ planned on staying with me, did you? It was all some trick. A way to bide you're time until you get contact _him_ and you could go back to _him_. This unbeliever. This Daniel Jackson. Isn't it?"

Although Vala couldn't speak a word, once again, her eyes conveyed her answer.

"Consider yourself fortunate that you carry the Orici, otherwise I would squeeze your wretched life out at this very moment. But rest assured that I _will kill you_ but not before I defeat the Agent of Evil. In fact, I think I will extinguish his life before your eyes, make you watch as he fades away. All my life I had been told about evil and I prayed I would never see it. I guess that I was wrong."

Giving one last look at Vala, Tomin released his hands from her throat and swiftly walked out the door. Vala wanted to stop him. To say that she did come to care for him, but she knew it would do no good. The truth was she didn't love Tomin, not in the way he needed to be and it broke her heart to think that the kind and gentle soul she had met when she first came to Ver Isca had been corrupted. And as much as she tried to not beat herself up over it, she knew, deep down, that she had only herself to blame.

Daniel was about to walk into his death and for the first time she felt powerless to stop it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The incident with Tomin had left Vala deep in thought and she had come to the conclusion that no matter how hopeless things seemed she had to fight it. To fight this intruder in her mind and to protect the one most precious thing that she had in the universe. She was determined to protect _her_ Daniel and save him from walking into a trap that would end his life. This was not the first time her body, mind and soul had been invaded by an alien entity intent on using her as an unwilling tool in the destruction of those who mattered to her. As a result of her experience with Qetesh she felt that she was a stronger person and therefore she had faith that she could resist the power of the Orici enough to save Daniel from certain doom.

Knowing that there was a being inside of her, malevolent and cruel, and to which she had no control of brought back unpleasant memories of days gone past. Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away from where she was right now, there was a home, and a man who pledge to love her forever. A place where there was a stepsister, who became her best friend, and greatest confidant. A place where there was a village full of friends and full of life. Then, one day, great ships came to her planet. And on these ships came great gods who forced her people into servitude, one of whom had chosen her to be his queen. And once she was, she brought the rain down on all of those who knew or loved her. She killed the man who once loved her, made him beg for his life before she broke his neck. A brutal deed, yes, and her heart bled for him. Then there was what she did to her sister.

Aja was her stepmother Adria's only child. At first neither she nor Vala had come to like one another very well. It wasn't until they had spent some time alone, and away from the influence of their parents did they get to see themselves for who they really were and were surprised at how much they actually liked each other. She became her family. When Vala was taken over by Qetesh, she tortured Aja. And for days on end she was beaten and deprived of all nourishment to the point that she drank her own blood off the prison floor to sustain her life. Qetesh thought it was miraculous that she managed to survive everything that she had been put thru. Vala remembered how helpless she felt as Qetesh forced Aja to watch Adria being tortured, raped and eventually killed.

As a result of all of this, Aja went insane. Instead of killing her, of putting her out of her misery, Qetesh did the absolute worse possible thing imaginable: she made Aja a Goa'uld. The combination of a genetically predisposed evil entity to an insane mind was not an ideal combination and soon, Aja brought chaos upon everyone and everything around her - - even the System Lords. Vala never found out what exactly happened to her, all she knew was that word from the System Lords had said the problem had been contained and she never looked into the matter then, and all her efforts after being freed from Qetesh hadn't produced any results. She had to eventually accept that Aja was probably dead and was thankful for that small mercy.

Vala did what she could to hold back her tears. Even thinking about what Qetesh had done to what was once a beautiful young girl with a bright future filled her heart with sadness unlike any that she had felt before or since. She couldn't even imagine what the Orici had planned and even though she was certain that she would meet an untimely death once the child was born, she couldn't deny that a lot of bad things could happen in the three weeks she had left until that happened. Vala wiped the tears from her eyes and the thoughts from her mind. Instead of dwelling on the horrors of the past, she focused on the future, on fighting the power of the Orici and doing what she could to aid Daniel. The evil she inflicted in the past what unimaginable and it brought her to her knees. The thought that she could be capable of doing it again, was beyond the pale. She refused to let history repeat itself. She would save Daniel.

No matter what.

Carson Beckett sat in his office, his mind mulling over the conversation that he had just had with John Sheppard.

"Well?"

"I'm still thinking about it."

"Come on Carson, we need a doctor on detail and we can't use anyone at the SGC."

"And after what you just told me, I can see why."

"What exactly are you having issues with?"

"Issues?" Carson got up from his desk and began to pace about the office. "John, any sane person would have issues with this. You're talking about flying two puddle jumpers into a Wraith controlled sector of space and uploading a Goa'uld virus into their Stargate."

"The virus was the creation of Anubis and Ba'al to use against the SGC by keeping a Stargate open longer than the thirty eight minute window. Now the first puddle jumper will be used as a decoy, it will dial into the gate and in doing so upload the virus into the Wraith gate system. With the modifications that Vala gave to Daniel it should prevent the Wraith from figuring out how to disable the gate until its too late as well as pull the force from the blast into the direction of the gate energizing it and opening the portal to the Ori galaxy. The second Jumper, in which we will occupy and be at a safe distance from the blast, will then proceed thru the gate into Ori controlled space."

"That's all well and good but how do we know this is even going to work?"

"Its similar to what the Ori was planning to do to create the original beachhead."

"Yes, but they we're omnipotent beings with Ancient knowledge and great powers. How do _we_ know that _this _is going to work?"

"Daniel Jackson said it would."

"And where did Daniel Jackson get the information?"

"From Vala."

"That's exactly my point John. I've been studying Daniel's case and I am concerned about these blackouts he's experiencing. We have no way of knowing when they occur and no control over his actions when he does. I'm not sure I can sign him off on the mission. He may be communicating with someone from another galaxy or it may be something completely different. This whole thing just sounds too convenient."

"What are you saying Carson?"

"What I'm saying John is that maybe Daniel Jackson has be compromised. That maybe his actions are being manipulated into leading us into the Ori galaxy and we're walking right into a trap."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"On what grounds, Carson, would you base your idea that Daniel Jackson has been compromised?"

Carson fidgeted in his chair. When he had refused to give the okay for Dr. Jackson to go on the mission, he found himself being called to Elizabeth's office. He was in the middle of stating his case when he was interrupted by Zelenka.

"If you knew _anything_ about Dr. Jackson's medical history Radek, you would know that Daniel has a history with being compromised by alien entities. There was that time he had over a dozen alien consciousness downloaded into his mind."

"None of whom proved harmful."

"Well, if you don't count nearly driving him mad harmful, John, and then I guess not."

"I meant he didn't harm anyone while possessed."

"That's because they realized something was wrong and put him in a secured room. The next time they weren't so lucky. When Dr. Jackson was possessed by Anubis he shot two guards. And by the time anyone knew what was going on a foothold situation developed and a decorated Russian soldier was dead. Not to mention the fact that Anubis was freed from the SGC to later nearly destroy all life in the galaxy with an Ancient weapon."

"And that's your basis for denying him access to a mission that could ultimately save this galaxy from an invasion by the Ori. As if the Wraith weren't enough of a problem we need to add a new set of super villain's to spice things up?"

"John!"

"No, Elizabeth. We can barely keep ourselves afloat dealing with the Wraith and now we're looking at a group of evil ascended beings and their devout armies of followers who would gladly impale themselves or us, on the sword to please them. This may be the only way that we can stave off their entry into this galaxy and possibly the best chance we have to stop them from getting into our own."

"Don't you think that I want to stop the Ori as well? All that I am saying John is that there is something not right about this."

Carson sighed, this time turning his attentions back to Weir.

"I have nothing against Daniel. I have the utmost respect for him. However, we still aren't sure what exactly is happening to him. We've gone on Dr. Lam's assumptions but we won't know for sure without further study. All that I am asking Elizabeth is some more time. A chance to take a look at Daniel myself. We have far better diagnostic equipment here and we may be able to catch something they missed."

Carson then turned to John, stern concentration across his face.

"You of all people should know John how harmful it can be when someone has been compromised. You know first had what happened with Lt. Ford – "

"Now hold on just a minute. That was different."

"Not really. We know just as much, maybe less about the Ori as we did about the Wraith at the time. We still aren't sure how they operate and we have no clued what they are capable of. What you're asking us to do is steep John. I cannot lie when I say I am having a few moral reservations about attacking the Wraith in this way."

"Atlantis is in danger Carson –"

"And that should justify genocide? Over the last few years we have done some pretty questionable things in the name of saving Atlantis and although I am not saying that we were necessarily wrong for it, when does the justification end? We can't just say that Atlantis being in danger is justification for any action that we make against the enemy."

"High and moral ground from a man who created a vaccine that ended up killing untold thousands?"

"I was trying to save people's lives!"

"So are we!"

"Both of you that's enough!"

John and Carson turned to Elizabeth, who was now standing up and looking mighty angry.

"I need to take some time to consider Dr. Beckett's request. John, I need you to contact Rodney, see if you can get him to send more specific information on exactly what they plan to do, specifically the modifications that Vala is having them make to the Goa'uld virus. When the information arrives, I want you to give it to Dr. Zelenka for analysis."

"But Elizabeth – "

"John, go."

John gave one last pleading look at Elizabeth before getting up and walking out the door.

"Carson, I want you to get in touch with Dr. Lam. Inform her of your suspicions and see if there is anything she can do from her end. As soon as Dr. Zelenka has gone over the data that Rodney is sending him and we have heard back from Dr. Lam, I will give you my decision about whether or not you'll have a chance to run further tests on Daniel. But you should know Carson that Daniel is well loved by a great deal many people. Including a lot of people on Atlantis. A lot of people who know first hand what he's been thru and who are protective of him to no end."

"I understand Elizabeth; I need to be certain of this. But believe me; I wouldn't even bring this up if I didn't feel there was something to it. Something's not right about this and I am just hoping that we aren't so protective of Dr. Jackson that we do something we will later regret."

"Neither do I."

The planet was frozen tundra. Inhospitable and lifeless. It looked like it had been years since anyone or anything had set foot there and he could see now why he had chosen this place to keep her. So many years had gone by he had given up hope that he would ever see her again. He had been told and all the searching he did backed up the tales that she was dead. Slaughtered by the Goa'uld. For years he had mourned her and mourned what their lives could have been. That grief, over time, turned to rage and rage into determination. He worked hard alongside many factions, first with the Tok'ra, later with the Rebel Jaffa, to help bring about the demise of the Goa'uld. When that happened he felt a great victory and not just for him – but for her.

He had started the Alliance for her. In her name. He knew that she would not have wanted him to sulk around and pity himself. She would want him to be strong, and proud. A real leader. Sure, over the years he had developed ruthlessness and cunning that made him a force to be reckoned with, but that was all the byproduct of what he had been thru. He wasn't the wide-eyed and trusting man that he was all those years ago. His trials and tribulations had changed him, made him jaded and in turn killed any innocence that he once had. His dreams had died with his wife, or, so he had thought.

Months had gone by as he had settled into his new position of leadership when he had crossed paths with a Jaffa once loyal to Ba'al. He had reveled in telling them all the story of the fight on Dakara and the downfall of Anubis. The Jaffa went on to spill all of the secrets that he had once been sworn to uphold to his false god, including one such story that left him transfixed. The story of a Goa'uld named Kebechet, daughter of the long thought dead Anubis, who had been frozen in ice on an Ancient world. The Jaffa had went on to say that Ba'al had been ordered to kill Kebechet, but that he had refused to kill her, for what reasons he did not give.

It seemed that Kebechet had been placed in a host that had gone mad. Slowly but surely the insanity began to infect Kebechet herself making her openly defy and act against the System Lords. Word had spread that she had begun to gather her own armies and the decision was made that she had to be reckoned with. The duty of dispatching Kebechet fell to Ba'al who had tracked her down and cornered her on an ice world. What exactly happened next, the Jaffa is not sure, but Ba'al spared Kebechet's life. Mortally wounded, and with no Sarcophagus to heal her wounds, she told him to place her in an Ancient ice chamber. That it would keep her alive and give him time to find a way to save her. So Ba'al did this, leaving Kebechet on the ice world and walking away with valuable information.

Although many of his cohorts had found it interesting, he had found it interesting for other reasons. His wife, who had been slaughtered by the Goa'uld, had actually, been infested by a Goa'uld named Kebechet, who he had been told was murdered for her defiance. He pressed the Jaffa for more information and when he could not give it to him willingly, he tortured it out of him. What he learned had led him here, to this barren and lost world, in a last, almost desperate effort to reunite with his wife.

He had sent a team to explore a set of ruins in a nearby mountain where the Jaffa had said that Ba'al had put Kebechet to sleep. Hours had passed, and so far, he had heard nothing. He had almost given up hope, written the Jaffa's story off as lies when there was a crackle on the radio.

"Sir, you need to get down here and see this. I think we found her."

Grabbing a nearby jacket he headed towards the ring room and within seconds, found himself standing in the most wonderful place he had ever seen. What looked like a large science station had literally been carved into the tundra. Windows of colored glass panels acted as walls that separated the various rooms that were each filled with strange machines and other computers. He found himself overwhelmed by the beauty of it all he almost forgot about why he had come there in the first place. Running in the direction of where he heard people talking he came upon the largest of all chambers. There he found his men, standing around what appeared to be a glass coffin. Pushing them aside he walked up to the coffin and his heart nearly stopped at the sight.

There lying peacefully inside, was his long believed dead and well loved, wife. Netan could not find the words to speak. He merely put his hands to the glass and wept.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Netan sat staring at the woman before him. Lost in thought of a time that although it wasn't that long ago, seemed like forever. So enthralled was he by her beauty, which had not aged a day since he had last seen her. So captivated was he by her long flowing dark hair and slightly rosy cheeks that he did not notice when the rings activated behind him. He did not notice the sounds of zat blasts and the screams of his men as they fell dead to the floor. It wasn't until one of his men, barely alive, had staggered forward and fell onto the coffin beside him dead, was he broken from the haze. Taking only seconds to survey his surroundings, he reached for his weapon and turned around. The figure that stood before him was familiar and his presence was not that surprising.

"Ba'al."

"Netan, great leader of the Lucian Alliance, we met again."

Netan's hand held steady, his gaze never wavering from the Goa'uld's face.

"The Lucian Alliance has made quite a name for themselves over the past few years. Considering that you started out as nothing more than a Tok'ra ploy, it's fascinating that you've managed to rise to something significant."

"We we're _not_ a Tok'ra ploy!"

"Oh, where are my manners," Ba'al chided as he began walking closer to Netan. "You were freedom fighters, who banded together to rid your planet from the rule of the Goa'uld Qetesh. And with the guidance of the all mighty Tok'ra warrior, Lucian, you succeeded in doing so. You owe the Tok'ra your freedom."

"I _owe_ the Tok'ra nothing!"

"Sorry," Ba'al said as he feigned remorse. "I forgot that the Tok'ra is a sore subject for you. And for good reason of course. Lucian promised to not only free your planet from Qetesh but to save your wife as well. Then like it is with all Tok'ra, he _lied_, and as soon as Qetesh was taken care of, he went away without giving you a second thought."

"It is not only the Tok'ra for whom I hold great resentment. You especially, hold the prime of the blame for what happened to her. For it was _you_ who came to my planet and enslaved us. It was _you_ who brought Qetesh and chose Vala as her host. It was -- "

"_I_ who saved her from destruction," Ba'al seethed as he now stood face to face with Netan, whose weapon was still drawn. "For if it were not for _me_, she would have been assassinated by the System Lords. It was _I _who saved her life. Who kept her hidden. _I _am the reason that she lives."

As much as he hated to admit it, Ba'al was the one who saved her. He was the one, who despite being ordered by the other System Lords, chose to save her. To keep her safe. And like it or not, he was the only one who could help him bring her back now. Netan lowered his weapon slowly and turned back to look at his wife.

"For that I am grateful."

Ba'al chuckled softly and continued walking until he stood next to Netan, staring down at the sleeping beauty.

"Would you like to know why I saved her? Would you like to know the truth?

Netan nodded.

"Kebechet, daughter of Anubis, had laid years in stasis after her father was believed dead. Revived by Qetesh, she was implanted into the mind of Aja Mal Doran-An Tal, your wife, and stepsister of Qetesh's host, Vala. Driven insane thru days of torture, Kebechet was the only thing that was holding together Aja's fractured mind. Slowly but surely Aja's insanity began infecting Kebechet and she began to feel affection for her host. The last time a Goa'uld did that was with Osiris and Isis. Both felt affection for their hosts, so much so that they allowed them to conceive a child. Heresies. Who possessed all the power and knowledge of the Goa'uld. He became dangerous and brought the System Lords to their knees. The child was punished and Osiris and Isis banished to Earth. Kebechet began plotting her vengeance against the System Lords for what they did to her host and like Heresies, nearly destroyed us."

"Then why spare her if she was so dangerous? Why not just kill her if she was such a threat?"

Ba'al sighed and walked away from the Netan and over to a nearby console.

"What are you doing?" Netan asked nervously as Ba'al began to push various buttons.

"Why tell you, when I can show you."

Before Netan could respond, the room took on an iridescent green glow. Soon a young woman stood before them. Tall, fair-haired and almost ethereal in her beauty.

"She is not real," Ba'al stated sensing Netan's confusion. "It's a holographic message created by the Ancients. You see, this was once a powerful Ancient outpost. It fell to ruin when the inhabitants fell victim to a plague. In fact, almost every Ancient world had been consumed with illness and death. This woman, the last survivor of the outpost, felt that it was important to leave behind a record of her people. It is incomplete."

Hitting another button on the console the figure before him came to life, and Netan listened intently at the story that she told.

_All life began on Altera. How we came to be before that time is not known, for no records exist before then. We were a peaceful people. Curious and strong. As time wore on we set out from Altera to search the many planets in our vast system of stars, hoping to answer the questions of where life as we know it began. Orion, a great scientist, lead a groups of explorers to a planet known only now as The First Planet. When the expedition reached The First Planet they found nothing more than a barren wasteland covered in dark storm clouds. Months passed the mission was deemed to be an utter failure. Before returning to Altera, Orion climbed the highest __mountain__ of The First Planet to take one last look, when something had caught his attention. Running back to his encampment he said that he had made a great discovery. However, before he could utter a word, he was struck down by a bolt of lightning. As the men grieved for Orion, something curious had happened. The dark storm clouds came down from the sky and surrounded Orion. When they had parted he was alive and well. He spoke to his men and told them that the dark clouds were actually living beings and that they had shared with him the revelation of their destinies. He called this revelation Ascension and said that it was the goal of all living things to reach a place where the mind was enlightened and the spirit freed and the body mattered not. He said that these Great Beings, as he called them, had shown him the way of their Great Path and that thru them he had reached Ascension. For three days Orion spoke the great wisdom of Ascension and for those three days his most trusted assistant, Doci, recorded his words. On the third day Orion told his men to return to Altera, that his place was no with the Great Beings of The First Planet and that it was up to them to inform all who could hear them about the mysteries of Ascension. So Doci did as he had asked and returned to Altera and began --- _

Netan watched in disbelief as the woman before vanished as the cavern once again grew dark.

"What happened?"

"The Ancient power source that runs this outpost has been severely drained over the years due to neglect. The fact that your wife has been held in stasis has also severely drained its power supply. That's about as much of the message it has the power to play but I have seen it in its entirety and I must say, its one fascinating story."

"I still do not understand."

"A System Lord, wanted by his comrades, once took refuge here. He discovered this hologram and used its secrets to forever escape the hold of his enemies."

It took a moment for Netan to put the pieces together.

"This is how Anubis learned of Ascension?"

"After Anubis reached Ascension, he became privy to all the Ancients knowledge, including the location of The First Planet. He said that it was so far away, that it would take thousands of years to travel there by ship alone and there was no Stargate powerful enough to speed up the journey. He felt that upon reaching The First Planet and coming face to face with Orion himself, that he would learn all the secrets of Ascension and then use that knowledge to create his own army of Ascended beings to take on the Ancients."

"I still don't see how this has anything to do with my wife?"

"Anubis came into contact with Kebechet shortly after she was implanted into your wife's mind. He made her privy to his plans and so much more. Kebechet led me here in the hopes that showing me this information it would cause me to spare her life. She succumbed to her injuries before she could tell me everything and so on her urging, I locked her and your wife in stasis. I planned to one day return and find out the location of The First Planet to use it to Ascend myself and well, finish the plans he started."

"Why didn't you come to retrieve her before now?"

"At first no one knew Anubis had survived and after it was known, I could not trust the information that she gave me. So I managed to convince Anubis that we would make great partners and used our working relationship to gather all of the information I needed to confirm her story."

"Anubis has been dead for months, why did you not come for her then?"

"Because there was something else while I was working with Anubis that caught my attention, something that peaked my curiosity even more thant he location of The First Planet."

"What would that be?" Netan stated, his hands nervously fingering his weapon.

"When I was working with Anubis, it came to my attention that he had some strange obsession with a member of the Tau'ri. Now, I didn't think much of it, until I learned much later that the Replicators found him of interesting as well. After sending spies to Earth to find out what they could, it seems this Tau'ri is interesting in many ways. Shortly before putting her into stasis Kebechet stated that Anubis had used the information he gathered here to learn of a myth regarding a Chosen One and the used the myth in order to convince an Ancient to Ascend him. She knows what the importance of The Chosen One is. She may be the only one living who can tell me the truth."

"And what truth would that be?"

Ba'al walked up next to Netan until he was once again, staring down into the glass coffin.

"The truth about Daniel Jackson."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Daniel Jackson sat flipping thru _The Book of Origin_ trying to pass the time as they continued their journey to Atlantis. It had been nearly a day since Rodney had relayed to Weir their plans and still nothing. Both he and Mitchell had come to the conclusion that although they would still wait for word from Atlantis, they may have to wait until they arrived to find out if they were onboard. He couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for asking people who were virtually strangers to risk their lives for something totally insane. He knew, hands down, that the people he worked with at the SGC would help him without hesitation. However, there was no time and no safe way, to return to Earth to rally troops. He felt the most guilt for those whose help he could have once depended on the most: Jack, Teal'c, and Sam. There was a time he knew that they would have walked into hell and back for him and though he had no doubt they still would, he couldn't help but feel the distance between them. The doubt and the lingering fears that they had since his return from Ascension clouded almost every action they took with him. They were less reserved, less trusting and that hurt Daniel more than anything.

He would never or could never admit it to any of his friends but he had returned from Ascension a changed man, and as much as he tried to jump right back into his old life, it was beginning to become like an old sweater that just didn't fit right anymore. That his life was becoming more confined and constrained and the constant burden of trying to save face was weighing him down. He felt that he had to keep pretending that he was happy and that everything was fine for the sake of everyone around him. He realized that he was just as guilty as they were for not being strong enough to see what was right in front of his face. For the first time in his life Daniel wanted something different, something more than the life he had led. He knew deep down that the SGC didn't need him anymore. They had turned away from mere exploration and focused more on the militaristic acquisition of weapons and technology years before. And he found himself now reeling from the fact that he was right there along side them. That wasn't who he was. When he had first joined the SGC he would have protested at every shady move that was made. Now, well, he hated to admit that his experiences had jaded him to the point where he didn't really care.

He hated having to look back at himself and realize that he was becoming more and more the person that he always fought against. It is true that sometimes drastic measures and actions are necessary in times of war, but at what cost? Did gaining the upper hand on the Goa'uld and now the Ori mean that he has to sacrifice himself to achieve it. He had done that literally on more than one occasion and he came out of each experience worse for wear. He had to put things into perspective and to admit that his experiences changed him. To find out the person that he was now and not to let how others may feel about who he was get in the way. Mitchell had been right. He had supressed his desire to learn more about his time as an Ascended being .What he went thru and what he experienced. Until he learned the truth there would always be a part of him that was missing. Incomplete. Maybe it was it was one of the reasons why he was so eager to go after Vala. To throw himself right into the pit of the beast. In the hopes that somehow, somewhere along the way he would find something, anything that would give him a clue about his past. He admitted that he was frightened about where it may lead him, but he also knew that he would always feel restless until he learned the truth -- no matter what that was.

Slamming the book shut and placing it beside his bed he decided to have a talk with Rodney, and see if there was anyway to find out from Atlantis whether or not they were along for the ride. Taking a good look around to ensure that Dr. Lam was no where to be found, he got up from his bed and made his way to the door. He had made it about five steps out when he heard it. A soft humming sound coming from the observation room next door. It sounded eerily familiar and despite all of his efforts, he could not place it. Putting his quest to find Rodney aside, Daniel followed the sound. When he reached the observation room and looked inside, he was surprised at what he saw. There, sitting on a exam table was a little girl. No more than eight years old with dark brown hair, she gave Daniel a small smile.

"Hello."

Daniel walked hesistantly towards the girl, uncertain if he was really seeing what he saw.

"Um . . . hello."

"What took you so long, Daniel," the girl said jumping down from the table. "I've been waiting a long time for you."

Daniel said nothing only stared in strange bewilderment as the young girl walked up to him.

"Don't be afraid Daniel," the girl said stopping right in front of Daniel.

Suddenly overcome by an overwhelming sense of forbode, Daniel began to back away from the small child.

"What are youd doing silly?" the girl asked half giggling.

The child took one look at the door to the observation room and with one swipe of her hand, slammed it shut. Daniel began to band wildly on the door, pulling and jiggling the doorknob hoping beyond all hope that it would open.

"You can't escape me, Daniel," she said tapping the side of her head. "I'm in here."

"Who are you?"

"I am many things."

Daniel could do nothing but stare at the young girl, whose eyes narrowed and began looking at him with an air of omnipotence.

"Ultimately a man must walk his chosen path alone. That time has come."

"What do you want with me?"

"Many roads lead to the great path, Daniel. Lets just say that I have a vested interest in ensuring that we are both on the same path."

Within seconds Daniel awoke to find himself back in his bed. Unsure of exactly what had happened or why he knew beyond the shadow of all doubt that it was real. Rising up from his bed and nearly running to make his way out the door, he practically slammed into Mitchell who looked like he was running himself.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Daniel, where you going?"

"To see you actually."

"Why?"

"I wanted to see if you've heard from from Atlantis."

"I have."

"And?"

Mitchell shook his head and grabbed Daniel by the arm guiding him back to his bed.

"You might want to sit down."

"Why?"

"Rodney just got a message from Sheppard."

"And."

"We're good to go," Mitchell said, a wide grin breaking across his face.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Across the vast emptiness of space, across bilions of stars and a half dozen galaxies, Vala Mal Doran stood watching. However, with just one look into the eerie and putrid orange glow of her eyes, you knew instantaneously that Vala was no where to be found. Turning to around she came face to face with the Doci, who was in a half-standing, half-squatting position of reverence.

_I know that Tomin plans to kill Daniel Jackson_.

"Yes. Orici."

_I cannot permit that to happen._

"What has changed Orici?"

_Daniel Jackson may be of some use to us after all. _

"But Orici, you have said yourself that he is the Agent of Evil. That he has come here to destroy you."

_That is exactly true._

"Then, if I may be so bold to ask, why is he not to be killed?"

_Daniel Jackson is dangerous. That has not changed. However, things are occuring that I did not originally anticipate. The Ori have shown me something that I could not see before._

"What would that be Orici?"

_In order to bring Origin to the unbelievers we need Daniel Jackson._

"What difference would Daniel Jackson make?"

_The Ori believe he is The Prophet._

The Doci stood up from his position of reverence, a look of disbelief crossing his face.

"The Prophet is one of the most highly regarded beings of Origin, above even yourself, Orici. And you believe that this Agent of Evil, this Unbeliever, is The Prophet."

_The Ori believe it to be true, Doci! Who are you to question their will?_

The Doci sprang back into his position of reverence, his eyes too ashamed to look the Orici in the eye.

"I apologize, Orici. I did not mean to question the will of the Ori. It is just that I have met Daniel Jackson, and I did not feel the same way that I do when I am standing in your divine prescence."

_He is well gaurded by Beings of Evil who wish to keep him from us._

"What shall we do then, Orici?"

_Leave that to me. For now I want you to go down to the men working on the ships. Lead them in prostration for the coming battle. Make my feelings known and make it known that no harm is to come to Daniel Jackson. That he is to be held in the same regard as Vala._

"Yes, Orici."

And with a small nod the Doci stood up and walked outside of her quarters, staring back into space, the Orici looked down at Vala's stomach. Knowing the time would soon come when she would be free and would bring the will of the Ori to all those who were unaware of their splendor.

_Fear not little vessel. We will soon be free. And when we are, the Beings of Evil will be destroyed, once and for all. _

The Orici once again turned to peer out into the vastness of space.

_And Daniel Jackson shall lead the way._

_oooooooo_

Ba'al stood in front of the console as Netan watched impatiently.

"You've been fiddling with that stupid machine for nearly half an hour."

"If we're going to awaken the sleeping giant we need to first determine the condition of her body. We wouldn't want to bring her out of stasis and then have her die on us before we can do anytihing to save her, do we?"

"No."

"Then keep your mouth shut and let me do what I came here to do."

"I'm going to take a look around, let me know when you've got something useful," Netan said as he walked out of the chamber and back into the corridors of the outpost.

The outpost was beautiful. Everywhere he looked there were large paines of jagged colored glass, and the remains of an enormous ice palace that was once home to a remarkable but now extinct civilization. Despite everything that had changed over the last decade, there was a part of him that still lingered back to the life that he once had. The simple life of a historian, brother, and husband. That Netan would have been fascinated by this place. By the tales of the Ancients and the traigc downfall of their society. That Netan would stand for hours studying his planet's Stargate, lost in awe of the possibilities of new civilzations and peaceful explorations that it held. A promise or adventure that he would have gladly undertaken. An adventure forever lost by the coming of the Goa'uld and the destruction of everything and everyone he held dear.

He often wondered how his life would have turned out if the Tau'ri, not the Tok'ra had been the ones to orchestrate their freedoms. He had heard stories of the Tau'ri and how they helped to rid the Goa'uld from many planets under Goa'uld control. How they had worked to rebuild those socities to how they once were and protect them from upheavel with the guidance of the Asgard. If it had been the Tau'ri who freed them from Qetesh, would he have gotten back to that life of exploration or curisoity that he once held so dear? Would they have been able to free Aja from the grips of Qetesh before she had damaged her mind beyond repair? His mind trailed back to the woman lying asleep in the other room. What would she think if she knew what had become of him? Would she still recognize him or would she wonder what became of the gawkish scientist she married? Unable to allow his mind to wander back into what could never be, he began walking back toward the main chamber. He was about half way there when a whizzing sound, followed by a small cry echoed back towards him. Running as fast as he could he made it as far as the entrance before stopping dead in his tracks.

Down besides his feet was the charred body of Ba'al. Looking to the distance in front of him he saw her. His mind turning in a million differnent directions, he missed when her eyes flashed and her voice spoke in a deep and inhuman tone.

"I am Kebechet."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

_Ten Years Earlier_

Aja Mal Doran-An Tal sat staring out her kitchen window. From there she could see her husband, Netan, sitting beneath a large tree, his face buried in his notebook. The daughter of wealthy merchants, she had always resigned that she would marry the son of wealthy merchants and live out the rest of her life as a trophy wife whose only purpose was to look pretty and throw extravagent parties. She had grown up knowing that would be the course for her life and never thought that there could or would be anything else set in stone for her. That changed, however, when her father passed away unexpectedly leaving all of his wealth to her mother, Adria. Still a young child when it happened, Aja had only passing memories of her biological father, and the events that surrounded his death. She did, however, remember the many 'uncles' that would frequent their home in the months and years that followed. None of which were very likeable and none of which stayed for very long.

Around the time of her tenth birthday, her mother returned from an extended vacation with one such uncle and his teenage daughter. Her mother had told her that this uncle, Jacek, was her new father, making his daughter, Vala, her new sister. Vala wasn't around very often, only every few months and for long periods of time during the summer seasons. For the first few years, neither Aja nor Vala spent a great deal of time with one another and the time they did spend was often the scene of spectacular arguments and the occasional brawl. Aja saw Vala as her father, who she had come to learn was nothing more than a gold digging con artist and Vala had scene Aja as nothing more than the image of her mother, a spoiled and haughty brat. By the time Aja had reached her teens, Vala seldom came around anymore and she wished for the day when Vala would stop coming all together. At that age she began to follow the track that had been laid out for her all of her life, courting the sons of various wealthy merchants and businessmen in the hopes of finding a husband.

That was until she met Netan.

Netan An Tal, was by no means wealthy. His father, Tritan, was a drunk who ran a pub in one of the most dangerous villages on their planets. Known for being a meeting place of smugglers, it was a constant hot bed of the criminal under belly. His mother, Alyse, was a teacher. Alyse, came from a family that although it wasn't wealthy had enough money to secure her a place as a teachers apprentice. After many years of schooling and some time teaching small schools, she returned home and became a private tutor to their planets social elite. As a result of her background Alyse made sure that Netan, recieved the same level of education as any of the children she tutored. One of the families she tutored, the An Tal's, took to Alyse and Netan with great affection, often inviting them to various social occasions and families dinners. When Netan was young, his mother died. The An Tal's adopted Netan, feeling that Alyse wouldn't have wanted him raised by his father, given the kind of life he lived. Tritan agreed and Netan never saw him again. Although the An Tal's were kind to him and did their best to treat him like their son, Netan always felt as if he didn't belong. This was always evident in social functions when the An Tal's would introduce him to their rich friends, and make it a point to tell them of how he was rescued from a life of poverty and criminality.

It was at one such function, a birthday party for his step-brother, Rayden, in which the two were introduced. Aja immediately took to Netan and found him to be the most fascinating person she had ever met. Unlike the many boys that she had encountered over her life time he was interesting. Netan was very well read and talked about things that Aja had never even heard about before. She took to his every word as if it were gold and found the more time she spent around him, the more she never wanted to leave. That was until Rayden showed up and told her that Netan was nothing more than his families charity case and that she shouldn't be bothered with the likes of him. Embarassed, Netan took off and although he was supposed to be beneath her stature, Aja stood up to him in front of Rayden. Slapping Rayden, she took off after Netan, finally finding him sitting beneath a large tree, his face in a book. Aja told Netan that what Rayden said was wrong and that she didn't think of him like that.

Netan told her that one day soon, he would leave their village and he would travel to other worlds. He would become an explorer and would make a great discovery about some never before heard of lost civilization. For hours they sat, talking about their dreams and during that time she realized that maybe there could be more to life than wealth and that there could be more to her life than just being some man's wife. She kissed him and from that moment on, they were never apart. The opposition their relationship recieved from their families caused them to run away, seeking solace in a village a few days travel from their own. It was there she was reunited with Vala and she found that once removed from the constant eyes of their parents, the arguments ceased and the understanding began. At first the two would spend hours, just talking, catching up on the things that had happened to them since the last time they had met, including Aja's story of how she had met and fell in love, with Netan. For the first time in their lives, they had felt like real sisters. They had become family.

Now, years later, she found herself settling down into a life she had never imagined for herself, but never felt more comfortable in. In recent years Netan had grown to become Cheif Historian of their village and dedicated his time into researching the Stargate trying to figure what wonders lie on the other side. Watching Netan sitting there, she found after all of these years, she was still fascinated by the way his mind worked and how even the littlest things would set off his wonder.

"Is he under that tree again?"

The familiar voice broke Aja's concentration.

"Vala," Aja said as she walked to up to and greeted her sister with warm embrace. "What brings you here? I thought that you and Jaleyn's mother were going to be busy all day with last minute wedding preparations?"

"That was the plan, however on my way there I realized there was something more important that had to be done."

"What could be more important than you're wedding?"

Vala looked at Aja and immediately a cold feeling ran up her spine. With a cold, wide smile, Vala's eyes flashed a strange orange color. Terrified and confused, Aja began to back away from her sister.

"Vala, what's going on? What is with your eyes?"

"The name is Qetesh," Vala said in a deep and unnatural tone. "And there is something from you I need."

Looking out toward the window she could see Netan, frozen in his place, his eyes fixed to the sky. A few seconds later, their eyes met, and she could see them full of terror.

"Aja!" Netan screamed as he ran towards the house. "There are ships. Everywhere. I think the village is being attacked!"

Aja looked once more to Vala, who now had a large metallic object on her hand.

"Don't hurt him," she begged. "Whatever it is you want, I'll give it -- I'll do it, just don't hurt him."

"Done," Vala said raising her hand towards Aja. "But keep in mind, that later, I will hold you to that promise."

oooooooo

Kebechet looked towards Netan, his eyes looking at her, but right thru her. She knew that it wasn't her he wanted to see.

"Netan!"

Calling his name seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he had been under. Looking back at Ba'al, he looked at her confused.

"Why did you kill him?"

"That is not Ba'al," she said as she lifted herself from within the coffin and stood heavily on the cold floor.

"What do you mean, that is not Ba'al?"

"He is a clone."

"How did you know that?"

"Let's just say that I may have been sleeping, but I was not asleep."

"What does that mean?"

"I will explain later. For now, help me to Ba'al's ship I need the sarcophagus, otherwise you will have awakened me only to watch me die."

Netan looked and saw small streams of blood began soaking thru her dress near her abdomen. No longer hesitating her scooped her up and walked towards the ring transport.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Netan sat in the command chair of the Al'kesh waiting. He was suprised to find that there was nothing onboard Ba'al's ship. No other warriors, no other Goa'uld waiting in the wings to ambush him when they ringed onboard. Just a sarcophagus like Ba'al had said. With utter urgency he placed Kebechet inside and watched it close. Hoping that it could repair the damage done to Aja's body, he took a seat in the command room. He had been there ever since.

That had been almost a day ago. At one time he had been a patient man but years of suffering had turned him into an impatient and often times, hot-headed, fool. It was taking everything he had not to storm into the room and see what was taking so long. He was about to rise to do just that when he saw her walk into the room, her wound no longer bleeding and color restored to her pallid cheeks.

"Don't look at me that way," she spat as she took a seat near one of the nearby consoles.

"In what way?"

"Like I am about to keel over at any moment, I didn't survive this long only to die from some silly fleshwound."

Netan sighed. He tried desperately to not be overprotective. Although the creature before him wore the face of his wife and lay in the body of his wife, she was no his wife. His wife was somewhere buried deep within and given what she had been thru, it was doubtful she would be able to escape.

"Can I asked you something?"

"What?" Kebechet asked as she looked at Netan as if utterly annoyed.

"You said before that you knew Ba'al was a clone and your response was rather veiled. If I am to help you, I need to know everything. No detail left out, or I won't lift a finger to help you."

"You dare defy me?" Kebechet said as she arose from her chair giving Netan a murderous look.

"I dare."

"And what makes you think I won't kill you where you stand?"

"Because you won't do that to Aja."

Kebechet could not respond. Netan knew that the rumors were true.

"You do care for your host."

"As if she were my sister."

"Then tell me everything."

"Where should I start?"

"From the beginning."

Kebechet looked at Netan, unsure how exactly she should respond. Finally she sat back down and looked at him with what could only be described as reverence.

"You should know, first and foremost, that it was no accident that we came to your world. Nor was it no accident that it was left untouched by the Goa'uld for so long. Now, we both know the stories: that your planet, Sedaris, was founded by five people who fled from an unknown Goa'uld occupied world. They knew not what the Goa'uld were exactly, but they knew enough to find a place on the further most reaches of known space to take refuge. That part is true. What is not known however was the fact that twelve people had escaped from this world and founded two other planets. One now called Langara and another, now decimated planet, known as Hanka. Out of the three Sedaris became one of the more 'technologically advanced', if you could call it that. Are you keeping up with me so far?"

All Netan could do was nod.

"Good. Now I mention this because the planet that they escaped from was under the control of my father, Anubis. It also happens to be the planet on which we are currently in orbit over."

Netan was dumbstruck. There was a time, back in what seemed like an entirely different life, when he dedicated his life to Sedarian history. To learning everything about who they were and where they came from. Even though so much of him had changed from that wide-eyed man that he once was, he could not help but be moved by knowing that they were over the planet where all life on Sedaris began.

"Netan!" Kebechet screamed trying to regain his attention.

"Sorry, its a lot to take in."

"Yes, well there are alot more bombshells to be dropped before this is over, so don't waste your astonishment on the first one."

"Do continue."

"As I was saying, the planet beneath us is where my father discovered the Ancient laboratory and the message giving the history of the Ancient people. Were you able to see all of it?"

"No."

"Where did you leave off?"

"Orion decided to stay with the Great Beings and the Doci returned to Altera."

"Allright, well the message covers alot more than that so here is the condensed version: Doci and his men return to Altera and began preaching about what they found there. Now, you must understand that Alterans were a people of logic and reason, not faith. So when Orion did not return with his party and given the outrageous story they had told about what happened to him, the people thought the worst. That Doci and his men had killed Orion. They were tried, found guilty and put to death for their crime. However, during the moment of their deaths they Ascended, Orion having spared them death in return for their unwavering belief in him and faith in Origin. The Alterans used logic and reason to explain what happened but when they couldn't the Great Divide happened, where the Alterans split between those who had faith in Orion and those who didn't. Those who believed in Orion were persecuted and there was this war, eventually the Followers of Orion or Ori as they were called drove the Alterans into hiding, eventually causing them to leave the planet all together. Orion, who had become upset by the Great Divide had seen his followers had become lost on the path and there was nothing he could do to lead them back. So he left to rejoin the Great Beings vowing to one day return. The Alterans, over time, to become extraordinarily advanced so by the time they reached this galaxy, they were a highly advanced raced we now know as The Ancients."

"The Alterans were The Ancients and The Ancients apparently created all life in this galaxy."

"It gets even better."

"How?"

"The Ancients did seed worlds with life. But that mission to seed worlds led them to eventually leave this world and travel into the far reaches of space. After millions of years some returned to Earth and physically spawned life with the primitive humans that lived there."

"So some people on Earth, are actually descended from the Ancients?"

"Not just Earth. There is evidence of this on several different planets. After several generations these traits become dormant and they appear as regular humans with one tiny exception. A gene that is adaptable to Ancient technology and under exposure to certain conditions can reactivate Ancient abilities. This information was also on the Ancient message."

Kebechet got up from her seat and walked over to Netan, bending down in front of him, placing her hands upon his knees.

"Now, you see, Ascension wasn't my father's ultimate goal when he discovered the Ancient research. He, like the Alterans, was a man of science. His journey that led him to the Ancient that finally Ascended him was a last resort so to speak. He was more interested in these Hok'tars as he called them. Advanced humans. To think of the possibilites of matching a Goa'uld to a human with the knowledge and powers of an Ancient. He was never able to do it before his Ascension. However, his two assistants Qetesh and Nirrti, continued his research. Finally, Qetesh was able to succeed. You see those twelve people who had left the planet beneath us thousands of years ago were let out for a reason. They were an experiment to see if under the right circumstances and conditions, this gene would flourish. It did on Langara and Hanka. But nothing like it did on Sedaris. Qetesh kept a close eye on this world for that reason, protecting it from other Goa'uld. That is until one generation produced a single family where the gene was most prominent. As I said it was no accident what happened to this world."

Netan got a sick feeling in his stomach that he knew what Kebechet was about to say.

"And it was no accident that your wife became my host."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

A rollercoaster of emotions swept thru Netan at this most recent revelation. Anger. Sadness. Bitternesss. Emotions for which he did not think names existed hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I know its alot to take in," Kebechet replied as she touched the side of Netan's cheek. "But you wanted to know everything and I warned it wasn't going to be easy."

Despite the ranging emotions coarsing thru his veins, Netan knew she had a point. All confusion and pain aside, he needed answers, he needed the truth.

"Continue."

"Are you sure?" Kebechet asked and for the first time Netan noticed genuine concern in her voice.

"Yes."

Kebechet looked deep into Netan's eyes. She knew that the revelations were hurting him deeply. However, she also knew that this was something he _needed_ to know if he was going to be of any use to her.

"I am not going to try and explain genetics to you, but you need to understand that after generations of breeding with humans, the Ancient genetic pattern all but disappeared. This gene, is that last remnants of that. But even then, it was a weakend form. Many times, it was too weak. Ninety-eight percent of all test subjects died and the remaining two percent were left so genetically mutated, they were better off dead. Without any success, my father turned to two Goa'uld with a great deal of knowledge in the ways of science: Qetesh and Nirrti, in the hopes that between the three of them, they could figure it out. My father had plans to challenge Ra and he believed that if he had the power of the Hok'tar, he would be unstoppable. Ever since his defeat over Sokar, Ra had reigned the System Lords. Brutally and tyranically, even for a Goa'uld. He was so feared that no one dare challenge him."

"Then why did Anubis want to?"

"My father was the offspring of Osiris and Nephthys. Nephthys coveted Osiris, but it was her sister, Isis, whom he took as his queen. Nephthys became jealous and enraged and plotted to destroy Isis. One night she, attacked Isis and forced her to leave her hosts body, trapping her in canopic jar. Nephthys took her place and using the body of Isis' host, seduced Osiris and my father was created. Jaffa loyal to Osiris figured out what had happened and freed Isis. Osiris did not kill Nephthys for her betrayl and for that she was grateful. She later married Osiris' brother, Setesh, who hated Osiris and wished to have Isis as his queen. He plotted along with Nephthys to destroy Osiris and use his forces to take down Ra. The plan failed and Nephthys was killed during the pursuit. Some say that Setesh himself murdered her. For that Setesh was banished. Isis, although not my father's mother, raised him as her own son and later helped him to gain the rank of System Lord. Many years later when Osiris and Isis allowed their hosts to produce a child, named Haresiese, they ran afoul of Ra. Haresiese was born with all the knowledge of the Goa'uld. The System Lords feared that Haresiese would somehow use that knowledge to rally the humans against them and cause an uprising like what occured with the Tau'ri. For that the child was killed and the Goa'uld banished. My father forever hated Ra for what he did to his family and vowed he would pay."

"So Anubis believed that by creating a Hok'tar, he would ultimately gain a weapon that he would be strong enough to have the other System Lords bow to his will?"

"Yes."

"So what happened?"

"Nirrti betrayed my father and sold out his plans to Ra in order to gain the rank of System Lord. My father was pursued by Ra's forces and ultimately he traveled to a small planet called Kheb, where an Ascended Ancient known as Oma Desala released him of his physical burden and out of Ra's reach."

"So why didn't your father then use the power he gained as an Ascended Being to just wipe the other Goa'uld out?"

"Ascension brings with it ultimate power and as it is in the human world, those with great power, do not wish to share. The Ascended Ancients, feared what my father would do and so they tried to destroy him. For some reason, they couldn't. He became stuck in a limbo between human existence and Ascension. It took a long time for my father to regain any sense of self. And when he did, the governing body of the Ascended known simply as The Others, told him that they would not punish him further, if and only if, he did not use his powers against Lower Beings. There was, you see, a loophole to that. They couldn't and wouldn't touch him so long as he didn't do anything that couldn't be accomplished by a typical Goa'uld. So my father simply continued to do as he had done before his Ascension, only with a bit more of an advantage."

"So how exactly does what happened to Aja fit into all of this?"

"The System Lords believed Anubis dead. Qetesh, my mother and his queen, felt strongly about avenging him and continued his research. She focused on finding a way to prevent death and mutation in the test subjects. She believed that it was the continued breeding with those humans who did not possess the gene that created the weakness. So she picked tweleve individuals, set them out on three isolated planets and hoped that after a thousand years of breeding amongst those who possessed the gene, would ultimately make it stronger. She found the most success on Sedaris. Everyone born on that planet, including yourself, were born with Ancient genetic patterns. Although, many on Sedaris ended up with the same genetic weakness that killed the other test subjects. What made your planet unique was the fact that a rare genetic mutation occurred within a single family. Aja's family. Qetesh protected Sedaris and began experimenting on the members of her family and although this genetic mutation did create a greater ability of survival and reduce the chance of disfigurement, it had one unfortunate side effect Qetesh did not anticipate."

"Insanity."

"She tried her best to prevent it but nothing seemed to work. Unable to see the humans suffer, she killed them and returned their bodies to the planet in the hopes it would be seen as an unexplainable natural death."

"Like Aja's biological father."

"Exactly."

Netan sat in silenece. It was so much to take in his mind felt as if it would burst. However, in a sad, strange way it brought him comfort to finally know the reason for everything that happened to them.

"What happened to Aja? I've heared stories, but I am guessing that they aren't entirely true, are they?"

"No. Not exactly."

"Why did Qetesh destroy my planet?"

"Nirrti had discovered that she was continuing my father's research and informed the System Lords. Ba'al, who at the time was merely a lieutenant of Kronos, was sent to take the planet by force. Qetesh knew that Aja was the last living descendant and she was adamant to protect her at all costs. So she struck first, attacking the planet as a decoy to take Aja away before Ba'al got there."

"So Qetesh took Vala as a host."

"Qetesh made herself aware of the people in Aja's life, including you and her step-sister. Her Jaffa kidnapped Vala and implated her with Qetesh. She then used Vala as a way to get her to Aja. While Ba'al's forces invaded your planet, Qetesh took Aja away and made her my host. She had hoped that my strength would prevent her from losing her mind."

"Did it?"

"For a short while. However, insanity came in a different way. Eventually, Ba'al caught up with Qetesh and she was able to use her guiles to convince him she was on his side. They thought of me as nothing more than a new host for Kebechet. We were forced to watch as the planet was destroyed. We were forced to watch as Qetesh and Ba'al tortured prisoners, including Adria. During the torture, Adria had brought the news of your death. She did not know that you had escaped with the other soon to members of the resistance. We were there when she spoke of your death. Adria did not understand why her daughter would just stand by and let this happen. She did not truly understand the nature of the Goa'uld. She pleaded with her daughter to help her. Talked in detail about how they killed her husband. After a few moments I excused myself, feigning disgust. What happened next, I could only describe as agonizing. A pain swept over me as if every fiber of my being was being torn apart by unseen hands. My heart felt as if it would explode in my chest. And there was a scream. One I could only hear in my mind. Never before had a hosts emotions ripped thru me in such a way. Her thoughts, so brutal. She had gone insane."

Netan's composure broke as he began to weep. He had known that Aja had suffered but to know that he was the reason for it, was almost more than he could bear.

"Do not blame yourself," Kebechet said as she began wiping away the tears from his face. "You could not have known."

"I should have saved her."

"She is not completely lost."

"What do you mean?"

Kebechet stroked the side of Netan's cheek, a tenderness that he had never seen in a Goa'uld.

"Cherish this," she said as she closed her eyes. "It will not last long."

Netan watched in confused silence as Kebechet opened her eyes. Only, it was not the Goa'uld who was looking back at him. His emotions, so raw and intense they caused his breath to catch in his chest. She said nothing as she stood up and sat on his lap, wrapping both of her legs around his waist. Netan watched breathlessly as she looked down into his deep brown eyes and kissed him. Netan could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks and he knew that he was not dreaming. He reached his hands up and cuped her face, kissing her back. After a time that seemed almost like hours they broke apart, looking deeply into one anothers eyes. Netan again wept because for the first time in ten years, he was looking into his wife's eyes.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"You're alive," Aja replied in a voice that was so weak it was heartbreaking. "She kept her promise."

"Who kept her promise?"

"Qetesh," she replied as she ran her fingers thru his dark hair. "She promised me if I went with her willingly, she would spare your life."

"Willingly for what?"

Netan soon regretted his words. The look that came upon Aja's face could only be described as wild. She practically jumped off of his lap and onto the floor of the Al'kesh.

_"Stay away from me!" _she screamed as she back away from Netan so fast, he thought such a thing was not possible.

Netan looked at his wife in confusion, "Aleajandra, its me."

_"You're dead! You're not real. She didn't keep her promise to me!"_

Netan watched helplessly as Aja grabbed the side of her head looking as if she was in utter pain. However, any attempts of his to reach her, only caused her to pull back even more.

_"She won't get out of my head! She won't leave me alone!"_

"Who? Kebechet?"

_"Not Kebechet. She protects me,"_ Aja said in a half sob.

"Protects you from who?"

_"The child of fire is coming and the son of water will awaken. Boom. Boom. The universe will bleed. I can see it all. Why do I have to see it?!"_

Aja squeezed shut her eyes as if trying to protect herself from the horrible images in her head. Netan could take this suffering no more.

"Kebechet!"

Within seconds her eyes flew open and a sickly orange glow signaled that the Goa'uld was back in control.

"I hope you understand now why I must remain in control."

Netan wiped the tears from his eyes, "What was she talking about? Who was in her head?"

"No one," Kebechet replied guardedly as she lifted herself off of the floor. "Just the ramblings of her broken mind. She is lucid sometimes, until something triggers her and she goes off like she did. What you saw though is tame to some of the battles that go on in our mind on a daily basis."

Netan was overwhelmed with disgust.

"She shouldn't have to live like this!"

"No, she shouldn't. No one should. Do you think I like to hear her suffer? To hear her cries in my head everyday and know I can do nothing to stop them?"

"Then why do you allow her to live? To suffer like this?"

"I cannot believe _you_ would say such a thing?"

"As much as it breaks my heart, I would rather see her dead than to know she continually suffers like this."

Kebechet slapped Netan so hard that it threw him across the room, causing him to slam hard into a nearby bulkhead. Immediately he stood up and reached for his gun. Closing her eyes Kebechet focused on Netan. Within seconds the gun flew from his hand and into her own. Netan could only stare at her in brazen wonderment. Kebechet was about to reply to his amazement when a strange sound caught her attention. She closed her eyes to focus on its source and was saddened when she figured it out. She looked at Netan, tears catching in her eyes.

"That's why you went looking for her, isn't it?" she asked as she threw the gun down and walked toward Netan. "After so many years?"

Netan did not respond.

"You see before my time in my ice prison, I began to develop strange abilities. I can move things with my mind. I have an acute awareness of people and things around me. Which is why I knew that it wasn't really Ba'al that stood before us. When I was entombed they lay dormant, but always on. I know what happened to my father and my mother. I know about the destruction of the Goa'uld and the coming of the Ori. When you ringed to planet, I couldn't sense you. You were too guarded. I guess speaking to Aja brought down your defenses, so when I took the gun from your hand . . . I could hear it. Sickly. Irregular."

Netan again said nothing as he took his seat at the head of the console.

"So I closed my eyes and I concentrated. Found that it was coming from you. From your heart."

"I got it from my mother," Netan said trying to keep back his emotions. "She died when she was around my age. I don't really remember alot about her, I was so young. She was fine, she never seemed that sick. Then one day she seemed so tired. She spent so much time in bed. When she wasn't in bed it looked as if it took all of her strength to stand. I wasn't there when she died. All the An Tal's told me was she passed away and was at peace. It wasn't until years later did I overhear my step-parents talking about her. How her poor heart just gave out on her and that it was genetic. Which would explain why they always had a doctor hovering about me when I was there. But I never got sick. Showed any sign of illness and then all of a sudden feeling as if there was this weight on my chest. After a few minutes it went away but it began happening more and more, only this time, I was awake. I traveled to a nearby merchant planet and the doctors there confirmed what I already feared. So I put aside all of my other plans and focused on finding my wife. If the rumors were true, I had to see her, to be with her, when I . . ."

"Died?"

"Yes."

"You are not going to die."

"I would rather die than be healed by anything touched by the Goa'uld."

"I am not talking about the Sarcophagus. What if there was another way?"

"What other way could there be?"

"There is a ship that is going to be passing thru our orbit soon. We must be on it."

"Why?"

"I was less than honest before when I said Aja's ramble meant nothing. She can see things, things that have yet to happen. She cannot control it and its an ability unique to only her. I cannot see what she sees, but when she is lucid, she tells me. There is a being coming: part-Human, part-Goa'uld with the powers of an Ascended being. Because this being is human, the Ascended Ancients will do nothing to harm them. This being, the Child of Fire, will reign destruction over the universe and we will be powerless to stop it. Aja has said, however, that there is hope. Another being, she calls him the Son of Water, is the only one in the universe with the power to stop the Child of Fire. The Son of Water lies in secret, unaware of what he is until the time comes for him to awaken. She has said that we are the ones who will awaken him. The Son of Water will be on the ship that is passing by here. It is on its way to an Ancient base known as Atlantis. It is there we must go."

"Why do we need to go to Atlantis?"

"Atlantis is where Aja said it happen."

"What would happen?"

"Our Ascension," she said non-chalantly as she set turned the ship auto distress beacon.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

The Odyssey dropped out of hyperspace a day from Atlantis to conserve power on the ZPM. They would 'coast' as McKay called it until they were about an hour away from the city and then power-up for a jump to the planets orbit. The area of space in which they were moving thru was uninhabited, mostly planets inhospitable to human life. Dry deserts, murky rain-forests and vast ice worlds, places where not even the Wraith traveled. They felt that this was one of the best routes to take if they were going to 'coast' and reach the city on schedule.

For Dr. Daniel Jackson, it would provide the necessary time to once again consult the Book of Origin. He had tried several times to contact Vala but ever since his strange vision of the child, it was if her mind was cut off from his. He neglected to tell Mitchell or anyone else about his vision, waiting first to see if it happened again in the hopes he could somehow tie it to his connection with Vala. As he poured over the tome for the countless time, a knock on the door broke his concentration. He looked up to see Mitchell in the doorway.

"How's it going?"

"The same," Daniel said as he pushed the book away from his face.

"That bad?

"Yeah, you would think that I would have gotten something, anything by now, that would help lead us to Vala."

"You honestly think that _that_ book is going to be of any help to us? You can't take most of what it says at face value."

"I know that its allegorical but from my understanding of Ascended Beings is allegory in which there is truth to their wisdom."

"That whole _If immediately you know the candle-lite is fire_ kinda thing."

"Something like that."

"So what part are you working on now?"

"_The Annals of the Emissaries"_

"The what?"

"The Book of Origin is broke up into chapters, each imparting its own particular morality tale or word of wisdom. Except for this particular chapter, which is one of the reasons I skipped over it so much."

"Why did you skip over it?"

"I didn't see how it fit in with the others, I though it was something that was just thrown in for trivial reasons."

"Why?"

"Because it reads like Romeo and Juliet meets The Book of Revelations."

"Huh?"

"My first thoughts exactly," Daniel said as he tossed a copy of the tome over to Mitchell. "Its one of the longer chapters in the book, about two hundred or so pages, and for the first one hundred and sixty of those pages, reads like a love story between two celestial beings: Light, a wise sage and Shadow, a beautiful princess. They endure all of these trials and tribulations until finally they are free to be together. Only once together, and this is the strange part, their reunion paves the way for the coming of two other celestial beings: The Orici and The Prophet, who according to the remainder forty or so odd pages, bring about the Apocalypse."

"That _is _strange," Mitchell said as he sat down next to Daniel and began to flip thru the book.

"To make matters worse, the chapters regarding the Apocalypse are all written in Oma-like verses of wisdom."

"I know what you mean, listen to this," Mitchell said as he got up from his seat and began to read from the book. "_The Mother cried out into the universe and The Prophet heard her lament. Her lamentations overwhelmed the Great Beings and the universe cracked open, bleeding fire. From within the heavenly fires The Orici came forth and every living thing trembled at the magnificence_."

As if a light bulb had went off inside his head, Daniel stared knowingly at Mitchell, "Read that again."

"Th_e Mother --"_

"Not aloud, to yourself and tell me what you think it means."

After taking a moment to look over the verse, Mitchell replied.

"Its sounds like a creation story."

"It sounds like a birth."

"Birth?" Mitchell asked as the he realized where Daniel was heading. "You don't think?"

"Vala's pregnant."

"I mean, come on, this is Vala were talking about. Its not like she's the ideal choice to birth a messiah."

"Vala said herself that she was pregnant before she got married and she isn't sure how."

"Yeah, but _this is Vala_. Honesty, not a strong suit."

"She also said that The Prior told her the child was the will of the Ori."

"So your saying that The Book of Origin fortold that Vala will be the mother of The Orici."

"I think that the Ori are using Vala to make their scriptures true. I think whoever originally wrote the story created it for the same purpose as the remaining chapters, to teach morality lessons. However, I think that The Ori are using Vala to bring validity to their scriptures."

"So the big book says a messiah will come and so they create a messiah."

"Something like that," Daniel said as he began flipping thru his notes. "However I wouldn't think of The Orici as a messiah. More like a destroyer. Now according to _The Annals_, the messianic figure in the story is called The Prophet, said to be the second coming of Orion, the Great Being who first shared the wisdom of Origin with humanity. The Prophet is also the polar opposite of The Orici. The Book says, the waters of Celestis opened wide and out from within The Prophet stepped forth, they then dried up all of the water so that no other celestial being could spring forth from it."

"And the Orici is said to be born of fire."

"The Orici is female and The Prophet is male, its a classic good versus evil storyline. Its actually quite fascinating when you look past the fact that its true."

An unknown sense of dread filled every sense of Mitchell's body. He wasn't quite sure why, but all of a sudden, this mission to rescue Vala made him feel more apprehensive than ever.

"I should let you get back to your work," he sad as he got up to leave. "I want to go over some last minute details with McKay anyway."

"Allright," Daniel said as he turned back to his notes. "I'll let you know if I find out anything else."

"You will know the truth and the truth will set you free."

"Huh?"

"It was my grandma's favorite phrase, it seems kind of fitting right now."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Mitchell said as walked out the door.

_So is be careful what you wish for,_ he thought as he walked down the hall to McKay's office_._

oooooo

Tomin of Ver Isca found himself troubled.

Since The Orici had revealed that the Ori believed Daniel Jackson to be The Prophet, he felt lost. He had been looking forward to destroying The Agent of Evil and winning a place of honor amongst The Ori. Now, however, he would be nothing more than a mere soldier. Though he would greatly and willingly serve the gods in that regard, he could not help but feel disappointed at not being chosen for such a special mission.

Currently he stood in the doorway where Vala slept. He hoped, deep down, that when it was all over, that somehow she would come to learn the truth of Origin and would reclaim her position as his loving wife. Sure, he felt betrayed by her, but he also loved her. If he didn't, her traitorous deeds would not have hurt him so much.

"Tomin?"

Tomin practically raced to her side.

"Yes, Vala?"

"Tomin, something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Its becoming hard to breathe," Vala said as she lay there gasping.

"I will get a Prior," he said jumping up to leave.

"No!" Vala cried as she grabbed his wrist. "They are all on the planet leading the men in prayer."

"What can I do?"

"I know they brought a Healer on board. I know where they are keeping him. You must take me to him."

Tomin looked down at Vala, his face etched his internal conflict.

"Only a Prior can release you from your binds."

"I know how, I can show you."

"I cannot. You are only trying to trick me."

"Tomin, I'm not -- "

Vala's words were cut off by a huge gasp. Tomin could see her faces writhing in pain and her chained hands clutching her chest.

"Tomin, _please_," she pleaded as her eyes welled up with tears. "Something is _very_ wrong. I can't breathe and now my chest hurts. _Please_."

"The Orici will not allow any harm to come to you."

"The Orici is also a baby and my body is still human. If my body dies, so does the child."

Tomin looked into Vala's eyes. Her pain and her concern were genuine.

"What do I need to do?"

"You see the symbols on either side of the bind," Vala said doing her best to point out the symbols. "You need to touch them both at the same time and hold them until the binds release themselves."

Tomin did as Vala instructed. As he waited for the binds to unlocked he looked up at her agonizing face, and began regretting everything he had done to her.

"You will not die," he said as the binds unlocked.

"I know," Vala responded as she punched Tomin in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Throwing off the binds, she raised herself from the bed and kicked Tomin in the stomach.

"You should know that my mother was a midwife," she cried again kicking him in the stomach. "I watched her birth hundreds of babies, some were very difficult pregnancies."

Bending down she picked Tomin's head up by his hair and after every few words began repeatedly punching him in the face.

"So suffice -- to say -- that I know -- what a distressed -- mother -- looks -- like."

Vala stopped punching Tomin and held his head in her hands. For the first time, it was Tomin who saw venom in her eyes.

"This is what you get for trying to strangle me, you son of a bitch."

Vala head-butted Tomin, knocking him out cold. Pulling herself to her feet she made her way to the door. Turning back to look at his sleeping form she grinned widely.

"I am no one's damsel in distress. Least of all yours."

As she made her way to the opened door a familliar voice echoed in her head.

_What are you doing Mother?_

"We're leaving."

_I cannot permit us to leave._

"You don't permit anything, I _am your Mother_ and I make the rules. We're leaving. Now."

_I'm afraid I'll have to stop you._

"I would like to see you try."

Vala could hear strangled sounds in her head, and finally an exasperated voice broke thru.

_I cannot gain control? What have you done?_

"Now, you listen here and you listen good missy," Vala said sternly as she stared down at her stomach. "I did not survive one alien being invading my mind just to have it take over again by a spoiled, immature little brat."

_You cannot get away with this._

"I will."

_You cannot escape._

"I don't plan to."

_Then what is the point of all of this?_

"We're going to save Daniel."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

A resounding thwack could be heard as Vala elbowed the unsuspecting missionary upside the head. Grabbing the young woman as she fell, Vala quickly ushered her into a nearby supply closet, striped her and took her robes. Since being on board the ship she had limited contact. Only a handful of people knew who she was and what she looked like. However, walking around in anything less than the pale blue uniform of the Ori missionaries would make her stand out and that was the last thing she needed.

"Sorry," Vala said as she patted the young woman atop the head. "But trust me, this is for your own good."

_You won't get away with this Mother._

"I'm ignoring you."

_You can't honestly believe you will get off the ship._

"I don't plan to. I plan to use the Ancient terminal and communication stones you have aboard this vessel to contact Daniel and warn him about who you are and what you plan to do."

_There is no such thing aboard this ship._

"Yes, there is. And do you know how I know? I know because akin to the Goa'uld, the connection between a mother and her unborn child is a symbiotic relationship. And since you can reach into my mind and read my thoughts, the same goes both ways. So that's how I know you're lying. And its not nice to lie."

_Bitch!_

"Hey," Vala said as she patted her stomach. "Watch you're mouth. Now be quiet, Mommy has to be stealthy."

Vala opened the door to the closet and took a quick peek outside. Seeing as there was no one there, she threw the hood of her cloak on her head and made her way down the hall. Stopping only momentarily to notice an Ori patrolmen gaurding the sector where the terminal was being held.

"Damn."

_Told you._

"Being a brat is not helping me right now."

_You do not want to use the Ancient terminal Mother. _

"Don't think you can talk me out of this."

_You may find more than what you are hoping to._

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

_Do not say you were not warned._

What happened next, Vala only remembered in pieces. Flashes as if she was watching it happen to someone else. She saw herself walking up to the gaurd and with the wave of her hand, knocking him unconscious. She remembered walking down the hallway knocking down everything and everyone in her path. By the time the flashes had ended, she found herself in a large room, staring at the Ancient terminal.

"Don't you do that again!" Vala said as she scolded her stomach.

_Does the fact that you do not have total control bothersome to you?_

Vala did not respond. She only walked over to the Ancient terminal looking around for the communication stones.

"Where do they keep the stones?"

_They are in a small box on a nearby table._

Vala spotted the bock and opened it to find the same oblong shaped stones that she and Daniel had used to start this whole mess. Reaching into the box she grabbed a stone and headed towards the terminal.

_Do _not_ say you were not warned Mother._

"Quiet," Vala said as she took a deep breath and placed the stone in the terminal. "Here goes nothing."

A few seconds passed before Vala was able to open her eyes. However, what she found when she did was quite different than she was suspecting. Everything was bright. Almost to the point that it was dark. And grainy, as if she was watching one of Teal'c old VHS tapes. She was also in a house and it took her a few minutes to recognize it, she had only been there once before. As Vala took in the surroundings she heard a noise, a certain _type _of noise, coming from an adjoining room. Taking a quick peek around the corner, she was shocked at what she saw. Flesh against flesh, bodies interlocked and intertwined and yet moving as one. The shadowy brightness hid their faces and yet deep down, a sense of foreboding lingered. As the dance came to its climactic end, the shadows parted and confirmed what Vala had feared.

"It can't be," she whispered as the room around her began to spin until she was once again facing the Ancient terminal.

The room was still bright and she turned to see two young missionaries lying unconscious on the floor, the Doci and nameless Prior standing beside him, the look of evil pleasure spread across their faces. And just as quickly as the reality of the situation caused her great fear, she found herslef alone and back in terminal chamber. Tears ran down her eyes as she took a long, hard look at her protruding stomach.

"You've known all along."

_I am aware of who I am._

"And yet you still plan to go thru with everything."

_He comes to destroy._

"He doesn't know."

_It does not matter._

"Yes it does, it changes everything."

_You do not understand Mother. It is written in the Book of Origin he will destroy me._

"Well where I come from, we have a saying, 'Don't always believe what you read.' You're not the will of the Ori. You're a child. A very special child. Just because the Doci and other say you're The Orici doesn't make it so."

_I do not understand._

Vala gave a wide smile as she stroked her stomach, "Then let me help you."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

The sounds of Bon Jovi played in the background as Cameron Mitchell sat in his quarters thumbing thru the Book of Origin. After going over last minute details with McKay, he checked in once again with Daniel and found the archaeologist continuing to struggle with the transcription of _The Annals_. He wasn't sure what was more disturbing to him: the fact that Daniel couldn't see what was right in front of him or the fact that he could. His grandma always used to say sometimes people were too close to something to see the truth in it and he was guessing the same held true for Daniel. So he figured if he was the one to figure it out the first time, maybe he could relieve some of the stress that Daniel was experiencing by searching thru the book himself.

So far he was finding much of what Daniel had warned him about _The Annals _to be true. It was an unusual piece of literature to be found in what one would consider a holy book, however after reading it a few times, he could understand the reasoning behind it. Although on the surface it seemed like nothing more than a storyline straight out of the soap operas his grandma forced him to watch as a child, the deeper one looked the more one realized that it was a very involved tale of love and destiny. That whomever they really were, Light and Shadow really were the intergalactic Romeo and Juliet. Two star-crossed lovers fighting to be together admist circumstances for which they had no control over.

The more he read it, the more he began to feel great sadness. It became more apparent the further on that he read that there wasn't going to be any happy ending and if what they suspected about The Ori trying to bring reality to their dogma was true, then there would be some unsuspecting people who would be forced to endure this fate. He wasn't sure what was worse, reading about it, or knowing that right now, somewhere in the galaxy, it could be coming true. That caused even greater worry as he began to contimplate what roles The Ori had set out for them to play. The more he read, the more the sense of unease he had first experienced in Daniel's office grew. More and more he was beginning to suspect the role that Daniel would play in all of this.

_The Mother cried out into the universe and The Prophet heard her lament._

Daniel was the one who heard Vala's cries. It was he who responded to her lamentations. It killed him to have to admit his suspicions: Daniel was The Prophet. Given his past history with Ascended Beings, he could see why The Ori would pigeonhole him for such a task. Skipping over several chapters, he began reading the chapters that dealt with The Orici, The Prophet and The Apocalypse. After a lengthy read, he stopped himself two chapters short of the end. He couldn't read any further. He wished to hell he never picked up the book to begin with. Overwhelming emotion swept thru Mitchell as he got up from his chair and began pacing. Anger, unlike any he had felt in a long while swept thru every inch of his body.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" He shouted up at the cieling of his quarters. "What gives you the right!"

Knowing that nobody was going to respond to his cries, he picked up the book and threw it up against the bulkhead, knocking over the bookcase and breaking a vase on a nearby nightstand. Feeling the fall of fresh tears on his face, he sank onto his bed. He wasn't a man to cry often, or for very long, but at that moment, Cameron Mitchell was bawling. Several minutes passed before he was able to contain himself and he began picking up the mess that he had made. If there was one thing his years of military training did, it was prepare him for the inevitability that when you embarked on a mission, it could be your last, or it could be the last for the people on your team. He knew in agreeing to go with Daniel, the danger that they faced, the possibility that they would never return home and the likelyhood of death were great. However, it wasn't until now, when faced with the inevitable and awful truth, did he realize that there was nothing in his training to prepare him for this.

How could he willingly lead his friend on this rescue mission, knowing damn well, what was waiting for him on the other side? And how could he, as a human being, leave that friend to a fate he knew damn well would result in the genocide of millions? He picked up the book and flipped back to the last page he had read. That last paragraph, so ominous and terrifying, it haunted him to even think that such a thing could be possible and from Daniel of all people.

_The Prophet walked onto the plains of Celestis, now once again a great ocean. Overflowing not with water, but with the blood of the unbelievers. The Prophet looked across the plains and into every ship, every village, and every house -- and there was nothing but death. He lifted his head to the heavens and his words were carried across the universe. "Let it be known to all, see the truth thru my eyes. Heed the words that I speak. What you see before you is the will of the Ori. The pestilence and perversion of the truth of Origin can no longer be accepted. We must join together now, despite the differences we may have, and restore balance. Bring peace were now you see is only death." And so it occured. Across the universe, enemies became friends, neighbors aided neighbors, all banning together to challenge The Ori. The Prophet looked across the universe pleased at how well his plan had worked. For it was he, not The Ori, who caused the massacre on Celestis._

ooooooo

Netan gave Kebechet a look of confusion.

"Our Ascension?"

"Aja has foreseen it. I apologize for not telling you sooner. Its just that her visions lately haven't been completely accurate. She believes that someone is reading her mind. Giving her visions of things that weren't true. She wasn't sure if this wasn one of those times, especially since it involved you."

"And can we return the conversation to the Ascension once again?"

"She wasn't very detailed but she made it that when they time came we would know."

"Which one of you will Ascend? You or my wife?"

"I cannot ascend as a Goa'uld. The Others will never allow it. When the time comes, you must fatally wound Aja. When that happens I will sacrifice my life to save hers. The symbiote will die inside of her but she will still carry my genetic memories, and so in respect, we shall both Ascend."

"So, you're just willing to die?" Netan asked, oddly moved by her words.

"Its not just _my_ life. It never has been. Its about both of our lives. Neither one of us will survive living the way we are for very long. And besides, I don't see it as death, more like, a different type of life. No longer will we be two seperate beings. We'll be one."

"And what if it doesn't work? What if you both die? What if you don't Ascend?"

Kebechet gave a small smile as she walked over to Netan and sat on his lap.

"Then we'll be at peace."

Netan said nothing but merely looked into her eyes. He knew what she meant. Aja wasn't the only one trapped inside of this body. So was Kebechet. Both were suffering, both were finding it unbearable and yet both held to hope that something better lay ahead. In that moment, Netan realized that that the being before him wasn't the invader who was keeping his wife prisoner. She _was_ his wife. And that she had been trying to tell him that all along. Smiling a small smile, Kebechet leaned in and kissed Netan.

He did not protest.

"How long do we have till that ship gets here?" Netan breathed as he pulled away from their kiss and began to run his fingers thru her long dark hair.

"There will be adequate time," she replied her hand on his chest. "But we really shouldn't, your heart --"

"Has been waiting for this for ten years. Its strong enough."

With that all either one could do was smile as they both fell to the floor.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

After what seemed like hours of fruitless labor, Daniel Jackson finally threw the Book of Origin aside. Hitting the power button on the stereo, he jumped up on his bunk and rested his head on the cold steel bulkhead. One of his favorite activities, especially after a difficult mission was to go home, open a bottle of wine and take out the collection of vinyl he had inherited from his parents. Mostly sixties-era music, some classical, it brought back the only warm memories he had of his family before fate and a coverstone took them away. Over the years his friends at the SGC had caught wind and began to contribute to his collection.

None more so than Janet Fraiser.

Janet was a collector of albums herself, and had at least a hundred, maybe more at her house. Every once and while she would pop into his office with a new album she had saw and knew immediately that he would like. They had spent countless nights sitting on the floor of his house with a bottle of Merlot and sat quiet just listening to the songs. It was something that belonged unique to them. A ritual that he shared with none of his teammates nor anyone else at the SGC. In the wake of her death, he inherited her collection. He told Cassie he would put them into storage, for the day she wanted them herself. He couldn't bear to own them himself.

Janet's death had hit Daniel hard. She was quite possibly the first person since Sha're that he began to care for. Although he thought it was nearly impossible for him to ever get over the loss of his wife, Janet was the first person he met where he thought it might be possible.

And just like Sha're, she was gone.

It would take months after her death before he could even look at a record player, let alone play an album again. The first time he did, he sat alone, bottle of Merlot opened and listened to Janis Joplin, Janet's favorite artist. Since that day, he did alot of reflecting to his music, the perfect quite time to clear his thoughts. That was, until, Vala came back into his life. Having been couped up at the SGC for so long, literally joined at the hip with Vala and unable to return to the quite comforts of his home, his wine and his music, grated on his last nerves. It probably added to the frustration he had been feeling about the situation.

His salvation came when he was allowed to take Vala off the base, for at least one night, to spend some time in his own home. After watching movies for hours, Vala had finally fell asleep and the opportunity presented itself for him to slip into his den, crack open the wine and put a record on. It was relieving after the weeks of stress and the reality that his very survival was literally tied to the that of someone else, someone he wasn't all that fond of initially, seemed to melt away. For at least one night, his life felt like it used to. So long ago.

After that night and the event revolving around the Ori beachhead, Daniel's life hadn't been the same. He found himself continually guilt ridden and saddened by Vala's possible demise. Guilty, because his continual quest for knowledge never seemed to lead to anything but trouble and always resulted in someone he knew dying. Now, although knowing that Vala was alive gave him some comfort, the guilt raged in him furiously. If the Ori were using Vala as a pawn to bring about their own twisted indoctrination, he was responsible for bringing her into it. For bringing her into the mess in which she currently found herself.

As he sat there, listening to the mix CD Teal'c had made for him last Christmas, he found that comfort and clarity he associated with music grow cold. It just wasn't the same when you were aboard a ship and listening to a digital recording. There was just something about vinyl that added to the atmosphere. Still, he couldn't help but smile. Daydream Believer was his mother's favorite song and could always bring him comfort. He always made sure it was part of his regular rotation. He sat there, listening carefully and allowing the words to bring him the solace they always did. For a single second he had forgotten about all of his troubles, all of the pain and misery, all of the tough times that lay ahead. For a single moment he was at peace.

And then Rodney came busting thru the door.

"I'm not interrupting am I?"

"No," Daniel said trying to hide his irritation. "What's up?"

"The senors just picked up a distress call."

"A distress call? A bit odd considering how far we are from any inhabited worlds."

"It gets even stranger," Rodney said as he walked over and turned the stereo off. "Its a Goa'uld."

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked getting up from his bed.

"Double checked it myself."

"Where's Mitchell?"

"He's already waiting for us on deck."

Daniel walked out of his quarters, with Rodney close behind. Not only was there The Ori and The Wraith to contend with, but now The Goa'uld? It was as if all of the nemesis that he had dealt with in the past were coming out of the woodwork. If they hadn't been destroyed, he half expected The Replicators to show up at any moment. As they made their way to the elevator, Daniel could see what looked like a little girl peek her head out from within his quarters. The same little girl he had seen in his vision. Before he could react, the elevator doors closed behind him.

With a chesire smile the little girl popped her head back into Daniel's quarters.

"Things are going as planned," she said to the tall, thin asian looking boy standing beside her.

"It is wrong to decieve him."

"Sometimes deception is necessary," she replied as she jumped up on Daniel's bed leaving her at eye level with the boy.

"You do not have to hide behind this disguise."

"He would recognize me that way. He cannot remember who I am until we're ready for him to."

"Daniel Jackson is an honest man, he means a great deal to me. I do not like lying to him."

"I understand that," the little girl said as she looked the boy in the face. "I will not let you down. Oma trusted me. Trusted me enough to finish what she started. Trusted me enough to have you come find me in the event anything happened to her."

"That she did."

"Then you must trust me as well. Trust that I will do my best to protect Daniel from The Ori."

The young man looked at the little girl with a pensive but understand glare.

"What do we do now."

"You need to return to Camelot and await further instruction."

"And what will you do, Morgan?"

Morgan only smiled, "What I must."

With that the young boy disappeared in a great flash of white light. As Morgan watched him go, she worried about how he would take it, how they would all take it, in knowing what Oma had told her about Daniel and why The Ori wanted him so badly. To know what they had already done. The awful truth that must never come out: that the baby Vala carried was Daniel's daughter, concieved thru powerful manipulations by The Ori, and that how in his useless attempts to save her from their hands, he would lead himself right into theirs.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Cameron Mitchell sat in the captain's chair staring out at the sight before him. He didn't think that this mission could get any more dangerous and the appearance of the Goa'uld ship in a previously believed empty part of space just proved him wrong.

"Are we sure its Goa'uld?"

Mitchell turned to see an exacerbated Daniel Jackson walk in.

"Triple checked it."

"What the _hell_ is a Goa'uld ship doing out here?"

"More importantly, _why_ is it here? Its like we're walking into a convention of Stargate villains or something. I mean we have to deal with the Wraith, the Ori and now the Goa'uld, what's next? Replicators? Lucian Alliance?"

Daniel ignored Mitchell's jokes and headed straight for the communications console, something that did not go unnoticed by Mitchell.

"I made a joke."

"I know," Daniel muttered as he played the distress call aloud. "It was funny. Not funny in a gut busting sort of way, but it definately warranted a chuckle."

"I'll try harder next time."

"You do that."

Mitchell could see the look on Daniel's face change as he listened to the message.

"What's wrong?"

"The distress call may be coming from a Goa'uld ship, but its not from a Goa'uld."

"What exactly does it say?"

"Ba'al."

"Ba'al? The message is from Ba'al?"

"No from a group of his human slaves. According to the message, Ba'al brought a group of his human slaves to this planet months ago looking for something but it went bad. There was a mutiny. The ship's anvigation was destroyed and the survivors have be holding out on this ship in the hopes of rescue. But one of them is badly injured -- possibly dying. They need help."

"It's probably a trap."

"I would bet on it, but it also might not be.

Daniel gave Mitchell a knowing look. This wasn't something that they could ignore. McKay, who had been strongly silent since fetching Daniel felt compelled to but the kibosh on what he knew the two were planning.

"You do know that we're working on tight schedule," McKay intervened. "We don't really have the time to find out if its a trap or not."

"Rodney," Mitchell replied getting up from the captain's chair to stare the scientist in the face. "If it were you, or anyone else on your team, how would you feel? Trapped. Injured -- possibly dying. And the only people for light years around decided that they just didn't have the time to save you."

"You have a point."

Mitchell gave one final look to Daniel who did nothing but nod in response. He turned on the communication system and began broadcasting to the entire ship.

"This is Colonel Mitchell. We've picked up a distress signal from a downed ship and we're going to to assist. I need a security detail between five to six and to meet myself, Dr. Jackson and Dr. McKay in the ring transport in twenty minutes. Dr. Lam, I want a medical team prepped and ready to deal with possible casualties and I want to send a subspace message to Atlantis to let them know what we're doing and that we'll be a bit late for dinner."

"Me? Why me?" McKay asked as he followed Mitchell and Daniel out of room and down the hallway.

"Because your technical experience may be needed."

"How?"

"The nav system is fried," Daniel said looking at Rodney annoyed. "Its possible that life support and other functions are as well. If the distress call is real and these people are still alive, they need all the help we can give them until we can figure out how to get them off the ship."

"But there are a handful of expendable tech heads on this ship."

Both Daniel and Mitchell stopped in their tracks. Looking oddly at the nervous physicist. "Expendable?"

"Did I say expendable, I meant knowledgeable."

"You're going Rodney."

"Damn it."

oooooo

Netan stood looking at the approaching ship. Shortly after their tryst, Kebechet ringed back to the planet telling him that there were a few things she needed to take care of before their rescue. As salvation creeped ever closer, he couldn't believe he found himself where he was at this moment. Never did he think in all of his years that his life would extend beyond that of a simple historian or that his life was meant for anything more grand. All he ever wanted was to live a simple life with his wife. Nothing more. After she was taken away, for what he believed was forever, he found himself wanting nothing more than to find his wife and to save her from the fate that she had been relegated to after the fall of Sedaris. When that seemed less and less possible he turned inward. Into the darkness that had lingered just beneath the surface. A darkness that been filled by the loss of his parents, the cold indifference of his foster family, and the constant hardships that life seemed to deal him. He became a monster, a man who reveled in the torture of others, and who cared for nothing or no one expect himself. When he learned of his emminent death he welcomed it. The hopes that this suffering existence that he had been wading thru had finally come to and end and that he would be reunited with Aja again.

But that wasn't meant to be.

He was meant to reunite with his beloved for eternity, but in a different way. That the universe had looked to all of his hardships and suffering and blessed him with a new fate. One free from the pains of the past and one that would gain onto him the wisdom and knowledge that Netan An Tal, historian, always dreamed of. Maybe there was a such a thing as destiny and maybe this was meant to be his.

ooooo

Back on the planet, Kebechet sat waiting.

Although it brought her great joy to be reunited with Netan she knew there would be things that he wasn't yet ready to understand. She wanted to tell him everything. Tell him the full extent of the visions that Aja had shared with her. But now was not the time. As she sat in front of the Ancient console she felt herself overcome with guilt. However she knew that when it was all over, Netan would forgive her for her omission and understand why she kept it from him.

A ringing filled her head. A quiver that overcame every fiber of her being. This feeling was familiar. Something she had underwent many time before. When the ringing subsided she turned around and for the first time she was face to face with its source.

"You've decided to finally show yourself," she said staring face to face with a young girl with dark hair. "But you're far from being a little girl."

With a bright flash of light the young girl aged thirty years, appearing before Kebechet as a beautiful woman of middle age.

"I am sorry for the inital deception," she said looking at Kebechet with knowing eyes. "You must understand the need for deception is vital right now."

"Aja talked about you. Said that you were trying to hurt her -- confuse her."

"I meant her no harm. I was only trying to help."

"How is invading her mind helping her?"

"You of all people should not throw stones when it comes to that subject."

"I'm sorry," Kebechet said getting up from her seat. "We have not been formally introduced. I am Kebechet, daughter of Anubis."

The woman nodded in acknowledgement, "I am Morgan."

"What do you want with us, Morgan?"

"There is a child, one that has yet to be born, one of great power who is vital to the universe."

"The Child of Fire."

"Yes, she is known as The Orici."

"What do you want with this Orici?"

"This child carries within it great evil. An evil that cannot be allowed to fester. With the proper training, this evil can be contained."

"What are you getting at?"

"This child cannot be raised by its parents."

"You want me to steal a child?"

"I want you to raise the child."

"What?"

"Under my careful instruction, this child will learn to contain the evil within her."

"How can you be sure its possible."

"Its been done once before."

"And why should I do this?"

"Because in doing so you will save Vala."

"Vala?" Kebechet replied stopping dead in her tracks. "What does Vala have to do with this?"

"Vala carries this child."

"Not only do you want me to steal a child, but Vala's child. I can't do that, Aja won't."

"If you don't she will die."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

"What do you mean, she will die? Vala or her child?"

"Both. Vala first."

"How?"

"There are forces at work, even as we speak, who are desperately trying to use the power of the Orici for their own ill gotten gain. They will stop at nothing to control her and Vala will stop at nothing to stop them from doing it. In order to maintain the balance in the universe we cannot allow either of these things to happen."

"I still do not understand why we cannot let Vala raise her own child and just protect her."

"It is not Vala the child needs protecting from, its her father."

"The child is in danger from its father?"

"The father is in danger from this child."

"How?"

"The father of Vala's child is special. Unique. A being of great, untapped potential, like a bubbling geyser beneath the soil."

"The Son of Water."

"Yes, he is called The Prophet. The last remaining descendant of Orion, the first Ascended Being."

"Orion, the man spoken of in the message."

"Yes. Left by one of my fallen sisters, Oma Desala."

"According to the message, The Prophet brings peace, unification."

"But he can also bring great death and destruction if he is not carefully handled. These evil forces, The Ori, they plan to use his child, destroy her, and open up the potential inside of him thru anger and rage. If that happens, there will be an evil unleashed the likes of which no living creature has ever seen. Primitive and chaotic."

"How is taking away his child going to save him?"

"If we taken the Orici away, raise her to contain her evil, she will in turn be the one we use to tap into his potential. To turn him into The Prophet."

"Aja said that Netan and I would be the ones to awaken the Son of Water. And by stealing and raising The Orici, that is how it will happen."

"Yes."

"But first, I must Ascend."

"Yes."

"Without Netan."

"I know it is difficult for you to keep that from him. But you understand that there are things he must undergo, truths that must be learned before he can reach Ascension. Ultimately a man must walk his chosen path alone and feel worthy to walk the chosen path. Netan has lived many years of darkness and until he can come to terms with that burden he cannot Ascend, no matter how much he wants to."

"But I've lied to him."

"No, by telling him that you will both Ascend will give him something to work towards. Death is only the beginning of the journey and he has many miles to walk before he is ready to start on the Great Path."

"I am afraid of what is to come."

"Everyone is. But once you have moved beyond that, fear is something that is soon forgotten."

Kebechet sat in momentary silence. Taking in what Morgan had just told her she felt for the first time the enormity of the burden she was about to undertake. However, deep down, she knew it was her destiny and knew that it could no longer be denied.

"I will do as you ask."

"Good," Morgan said walking over to the Ancient terminal. "We have much work to do before the ship arrives."

"Where do we begin?"

"By destroying the evil within."

Before Kebechet could respond, Morgan placed a hand on her chest. A feeling like being pricked by a thousand needles filled her body and explosion filled her brain. A few seconds passed as a new awareness filled her and for the first time she realized what had happened and darkness consumed her.

Looking as if she was seeing the world for the first time, Aja Mal Doran-An Tal turned to Morgan, an ere of disbelief in her voice.

"What have you done?"

"The Goa'uld inside of you has been gravely injured. As a result a poison has been leaked into your body that will kill you both unless the Goa'uld is able to change it. The process will cost the Goa'uld its life but no longer will you be two seperate beings, but forever one."

"Why did you do that?" Aja responded a feeling of panic and dread filling her to the very core. "We're not ready. I'm not ready."

"You must be ready."

Tears filled every Aja's eyes as she could feel the awareness of Kebechet slip slowly from her mind. It was like watching someone you love die, only being able to feel what they felt as they slipped away.

"I don't want to lose her," Aja sobbed.

"You won't," Morgan said as she placed a soothing hand on Aja's face. "She will be a part of you forever."

Backing away slowly, Aja stumbled away from the console and down the long hallway towards the ring transport. The poisons effects were beginning to take hold. Inside her head she heard a sound: a heartbeat. A racing, sickly thunder she knew belonged to her warden, her protector, her sister.

_I'm sorry._

"Don't speak," Aja replied. "Save your strength."

_I knew it would come to this, I just thought . . . we'd have more time._

"I know."

_Its going to be okay, I promise._

"I know."

_I'm so sorry._

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I wouldn't be here if -- "

Suddenly Aja was wracked with pain. Her own heartbeat now matching that of the dying Goa'uld.

_I'm so sorry._

Knowing what needed to be said, Aja closed her eyes, and thought carefully what she was about to say.

_I forgive you._

Almost like getting a second wind, Aja found the strength to continue until she reached the ring platform. Dialing the coordinates to the Al'kesh and stepping onto the platform she heard the small voice inside of her speak one last time.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this._

"I know," Aja responded as darkness overtook her.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

It felt as if the world was about to plummet asunder and then, just as quickly as it began to break apart, it was renewed.

Aja awoke to find herself lying face down in the ring transport. A strange eerie calm coming over her body.

It was over. Kebechet was gone.

She sat there for untold moments, overcome with grief, loss encapsulating every fiber of her being. This being, this invader of first her body, then her mind, had become so much a part of who she was that when she was gone, Aja felt as if some part of her was missing. She found the abscence of that other voice in her mind to be strange, almost alien. For the better part of ten years she had always been there, speaking with her to keep her sane, that without it she was fairly certain she would lose her mind.

But she didn't.

The insanity that had come as a result of Qetesh's experiments was gone. It was as if she were herself again. Not herself -- she corrected -- more than herself. For now she and Kebechet were blended together. Their minds now a singular being formed of their two seperate identities. She found herself suddenly aware of things that she knew she should have no knowledge of. Times, long passed, and events, quite awful, that there were no words to describe them. Genetic memories. Kebechet's genetic memories. Passed down to her from Qetesh, who in turn, recieved them from countless generations of Goa'uld who came before. It gave her great insight and a better understanding of the path that lay before her.

She knew what Morgan had asked of her was great, but in reality, she may be the only hope they had. The Orici, the child of her sister, Vala, was born with something evil inside of her -- knowledge. Like Qetesh, this knowledge opened her up to a great wealth of power -- which in the wrong hands could be dangerous. She had to learn to forget the darker nature of this knowledge if she had any hope to survive. Aja knew that this wouldn't be easy. That there would be obstacles standing in their way every step. The biggest of which was The Others. The ones who had knocked Anubis down a few pegs after his Ascension. But she was different. She was an advanced human with the genetic memory of the Goa'uld, not a Goa'uld. And unlike Anubis she would reach Ascension on her own without any aritifical means.

Aja understood that being a Hok'tar made her special. That now with Kebechet's genetic memory made it her powerful. Once Ascended, she would become a forced to be reckoned with. A being who could stand against The Others should they choose to interfere. That is why Morgan chose her to riase The Orici. She needed someone with the ability to protect the child from those who would see her as a threat. With Morgan's guidance The Orici would learn to supress her darker nature and in doing so become open to the insight needed to guide The Prophet to his greater destiny. It was a long shot -- and a difficult one -- but it was the only shot that they had.

Failure wasn't an option.

***

It was easier than Vala thought it would be.

Despite the noise that they had made, she was able to make her way off the ship with relative ease. Something she was almost certain was due to the little extraordinary life that was inside of her. Within an hour she was aboard a transport of missionaries headed to the village of Ver Umbra, where the Ori soliders were training and preparing for the coming invasion. As soon as it was clear, she snuck into the nearest woods, taking refuge in a mossy clearing about a mile or so out of the nearest campground. Exhausted, she lowered herself slowly to the soft ground, resting against a nearby tree.

_You told me you would explain to me Mother. _

"That I did."

_Well?_

"Its hard to explain," she sighed. "I can't say that I am the expert in all things Daniel, but there is one thing I know for certain. He would never hurt you."

_If you do not known him well, then how can you claim he not capable?_

"Its hard to explain, but the type of man that Daniel is -- would bring no harm to a child, especially his own. He is caring. Kind. Considerate. He had faith in me when no one else ever has. And most importantly, he got me to want to become a better person."

_All of this and yet, you do not know him well._

"Exactly."

_So, you're saying, that although you do not know Daniel well, that in the time that you have known him, he has had an effect on your life._

"A tremendous effect."

_That brings me some ease._

"That is good to hear."

_It also may explain a few things._

"Like what?"

_That he is indeed The Prophet._

"You know you mentioned that before, but you didn't really get into detail about what that means."

_Orion, the first of The Ori, descended to the mountain where he met The Great Beings. The Great Beings, seeing him worthy, infused him with their power and knowledge, and he ascended. He taught this knowledge to all who sought it. The Alterans, unable to embrace the path, rejected Origin, and so Orion left until the day came when all would be open to the ways of The Great Path. Before he left, he promised that when the day came he would return, and when that time came, all beings would embrace the ways of Origin. The First Doci and The Cadre, the first ten Priors, had said that Orion appeared before them and said that one day he would come again, a mortal. A Prophet. And that all living things would be united under the ways of Origin._

"Then how is The Prophet a threat to you?"

_Daniel does not follow the Path of Origin. He follows a path laid down by the Alterans. A wicked perversion as set forth by The Unbelievers. The Ori forsaw this and so they set out to create a being of True Origin, who would take the place of the corrupted Prophet. _

"The Orici. Well that certainly explains alot."

_How so?_

"If Daniel is this all powerful being that The Ori are trying to replace then why not do so with his own child."

_The Ori's reasoning matters not._

"Why?"

_We cannot both exist. In order for one to flourish, one must perish._

"One of you has to die?"

_No, cease to exist. There is a difference. There can only be The Orici or The Prophet. Not both at the same time. Which is why The Prophet will try to destroy me. Father or not, if his own existence was at stake, I doubt it would matter._

"I still don't understand."

_Two physical beings of such power existing in one time and place would create chaos. The very fabric of the universe would tear itself apart. Time itself would begin to bleed._

"So you're saying that either you exist or Daniel does."

_And the time shall come when you will have to choose which one of us that will be._


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

An all too familliar sound caused Daniel Jackson to quicken his pace as he walked down the hall to his quarters. He stopped. Hesistating slightly when he noticed the door was ajar. Peeking inside he saw the same girl he had glimpsed before the elevator doors had closed in on him pressing the play button on his stereo and hopping onto his bed.

"Come in Daniel. Close the door behind you."

Looking around cautiously, Daniel complied. He said nothing as he watched her sitting on his bed, eyes clolsed, listening intently to the music.

"What is this song called?" she asked opening her eyes and turning her head in his direction.

"The Times They Are A-Changin'."

"Who sings it?"

"Bob Dylan," Daniel replied smiling softly. "It was a favorite of my fathers."

"Does it make you think of him when you hear it?"

Daniel's smile faded,"Yes."

"Do you often associate music to people to hold meaning in your life?"

"Yes."

"What song makes you think of you're mother?"

"Daydream Believer by The Monkees."

"Janet Fraiser?"

"Summertime, Janis Joplin."

"Jack?"

"White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. There's actually a funny story behind that one."

The little girl looked to Daniel with an ere of both annoyance and disinterest.

"But you don't want to hear it do you?"

"Not really'"

"What is this about?"

"Did you have a song for Sha're?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"After everything that happened, not a day goes by -- even now -- where her prescence, her memory, isn't alive inside of me. I didn't need a reminder."

"That sounds suffocating."

"It wasn't always."

"But it is now?"

"I never thought there would be a time when I could picture my life without Sha're in it somehow. Whether it was the year we were married or how she drove my desire to destroy the Goa'uld."

"The Goa'uld are destroyed."

"And I don't know, but it feels as if I have come full circle. As if justice has finally been served and I can let Sha're go. I mean a part of me will always love her, but I don't know -- I guess I am ready to move on."

"To love again?"

Daniel sat down beside the small girl smiling, "Maybe."

"Yes or no, Daniel. There is no maybe."

"Yes."

"Good. It means you are ready."

"What do you mean by ready? Ready for what?"

"What awaits on that ship isn't important. At least not for you. What matters is the planet beneath it."

"What's on the planet?"

"There is something you must find there. And only you."

"How will I know what I am looking for?"

"When you see it, you will know?"

"What about Mitchell? I can't just abadon him and the rescue mission."

"What awaits on the ship is Mitchell's path. Not yours."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked vying the girl suspiciously.

"As I said to you before. Ultimately a man must walk his chosen path alone. What awaits on that ship is Mitchell's destiny. Not yours."

"Mitchell has a destiny?"

"Every living creature has a destiny. Some are more grand than others. Mitchell's path begins on that ship. Yours begins on that planet."

Daniel sat there in momentary shock, allowing the conversation to sink in. Finally ready, he turned to the little girl and spoke softly, recognition twinged in his voice.

"I know you, don't I? I feel like we've met before."

"That is because we have."

"Thats why I am so comfortable talking to you, we used to do this all the time."

"More often than others would have liked."

"Who are you?"

"You will remember in time."

"Why me? Why does all of this happen to me?"

"Because it is in your blood. As it was your mother before you and your grandfather before her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Go to the planet. You will find what you seek there."

Daniel looked to the girl with determination. Grabbing his coat off a nearby chair, he walked out the room and down the hall to the ring transport. Once he was out of sight, Morgan smiled.

"As it was written, so shall it come to pass."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Carson Beckett sat staring at the lab work with unventible frustration. He wished to god that he had been wrong. That he had not uncovered what he had. But he had to follow his instincts and he was hoping they didn't lead him here. His mother had told him often to trust his instincts and as a doctor he had come to greatly rely on them. Often times though, they would lead him to places he wished he never knew.

"Still going over Dr. Jackson's test results?"

Carson turned to see Elizabeth standing in the door way to his office.

"Aye."

"You need to let this go Carson. To focus on the mission."

"Believe me Elizabeth, I want nothing more."

"On the hand, you've always had amazing instincts."

"Which is why I need you to trust them. Not just for our sakes, but for Daniel's too."

Elizabeth sighed heavily, taking a seat next to Carson.

"What have you found?"

"You're not gonna like it."

"Really? What?"

"Turns out I was right, Daniel has been compromised. Just not in the way I thought."

"What? How?"

"His blood."

"His blood?"

Carson nodded handing Elizabeth a light green folder.

"According to Daniel's medical records both his grandfather and mother suffered from a rare form of genetic anemia."

"How rare?"

"There is no clincal name for it. From what I have been able to gather, there is no other case of this dsorder outside of Daniel's family. According to the doctor who treated Daniel's mother they were able to isolate a single gene responsible for the disorder. And this is the part where it gets strange, Elizabeth. The same gene that caused this disorder in Daniel's family, is the same that allows him to adapt to Ancient technology."

"The Ancient gene is responsible for the disorder?"

"Aye and before you even ask, I looked into the medical history of all the people born with the Ancient gene, including my own, and there is no evidence of this disease in any other family."

"So its isolated to Daniel's family?"

"Yes. Oddly enough however, Daniel, although born with the gene was never diagnosed as having the disorder."

"So he doesn't have it?"

"That is where I find myself stumped. Daniel was never diagnosed with the disorder, although he has the gene. There are however, incidents that lead me to believe that he does but I am not sure."

"What do you mean?"

Walking over to the nearby desk he grabbed four red folders and placed them on the desk in front of Elizabeth.

"Although Daniel was never diagnosed with the disorder he has suffered, on at least four seperate occasions, an illness that presents the same symptoms as that found in the disorder."

"Four seperate occasions?"

"Yes. Each one, years apart. Each incident followed by some type of major milestone in his lfe. The first incident was a week before he discovered how to open the Stargate. The second a week before his Ascension. The before he opened the gate address to Atlantis. And the final incident was a week before the discovery of Avalon."

"And you're telling me that no one at the SGC found this peculiar?"

"Janet Fraiser did. However she had no correlation to connect the events and so she never voiced her suspicions."

"But you think you've found a connection?"

"Yes. Each member of Daniel's family who had this disorder were responsible for some kind of breakthrough in whatever field they entered. History. Science. Medicine. Poiltics. You name any major breakthrough in human history within the last hundred years, and you can find a member of Daniel's family involved somehow. Even in a small, indirect way."

"How come no one else has said anything about this before?"

"There's a bit of a catch to it. Everyone in Daniel's family who made a great breakthrough ended up going insane not too long after. Their participation usually got downplayed or covered up all together. Even their insanity was downplayed. Written off as exhaustion or succeumbing to the ravages of their illness."

Elizabeth stood staring at the files before her, almost as if they were pieces of a puzzle that needed to be solved.

"Its almost as if their entire lives were programmed to complete that one task and when they did they were no longer useful. Evolution found the means to remove them from the equation."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks along those lines'" Carson said as a wave of relief washed thru him.

"Why hasn't Daniel ended up like the other members of his family?"

"I think that has to do with the Ancient gene. Remember after we found out about Daniel's Ascension and the expectations we had regarding the gene?"

"We thought that because Daniel was once Ascended that he would have a genetic advantage. That wasn't the case. His gene was weaker."

"Mutated actually. Warped. Practically powerless. What if that is what is keeping Daniel sane? What if, Daniel does have the genetic advantage but for whatever reason its neutured, for lack of better terminology. What if the gene being constantly active is what caused the insanity."

"And the gene only becomes active when its needed. That sounds like a big evolutionary leap that it would behave that way."

A dour expression came across Carson's face and the realization hit her like a punch in the stomach.

"You don't think this is something that occured naturally, do you?"

"Like you said before Elizabeth. Its as if something has been programming these people to fulfill a specific task. Moving them around like pieces on a chess board."

"But who?"

"The Ascended Ancients."

"The Ascended can't get involved in the lives of the Lower Beings, they're punished for it."

"They can't become _directly_ involved in the affairs of Lower Beings, but loopholes exist. Just look at Anubis."

"So you think that some Ascended has done something to Daniel's DNA that is supressing the gene. And then using something else to activate it when they need him to do something?"

"Which means that Daniel has always been compromised. Manipulated."

"If what you're saying is true . . ."

"How can it not be true? You think its a coincidence that Daniel Jackson opens the gate, goes to Abydos only to be roped back to Earth after his wife is taken as a host to a Goa'uld that gives birth to a child that later leads him to Oma Desala and Ascension?"

Oh, Carson. Why couldn't you have left this alone."

Before Carson could speak, Elizabeth got up from her seat and walked a short distance from him.

"You're not Elizabeth."

A flash of bright light engulfed the room and as it subsided, Carson came face to face with someone he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Chaya?"

"I'm sorry Carson," the Ascended stated as she raised her hand out in his direction.

"No, wait!"

Another bright light eminated from Chaya's hand and before Carson could do anything to stop it, darkness consumed him.

Chaya stood there momentarily taken aback, almost ashamed for what she had just done. Sensing a famillar prescence in the room, she turned to face them with guilt in her eyes.

"I have killed an innocent man."

The young boy looked to the prone figure on the floor, "He is not dead."

"His injuries are severe. Without medical attention he will not survive. Everyone is sleeping, no one will find him until morning. By then it will be too late."

"Heal him."

"I cannot. I am being watched. If I interfere with this, the people I protect will suffer."

"As you said before Chaya, people are sleeping. And sometimes, people have strange dreams."

Chaya smiled widely, "Thank you Shifu."

"No, thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me see things in a whole new perspective."

With a flash of light, Chaya disappeared. Shifu stood there momentarily watching as Carson struggle to stay alive.

"I know what you are hiding from me Morgan," he said looking up to the ceiling as if talking to an invisbile force. "And you will not get away with it."

A flash of light consumed the room and across the base John Sheppard awoke with a start. Fumbling for his radio he called for a medical team to meet him in Beckett's office. Elizabeth answered only seconds later.

"John, what's going on?"

"I'll explain it when I get there, but meet me in the infirmary."

Placing the radio back on his desk and reaching for the discarded pants that lay next to his bed, Sheppard took a second to catch his breath. Running his fingers thru his damp hair.

"What the hell is going on?"


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

A sharp crack and loud rush was proceeded by much pain and the sensation of falling.

The planet was frigid, abandoned and desolate.

In the day since his ship had crashed, he never once saw a sunrise, any animal or other sign that would indicate there was anyone on this barren waste of a world other than him. When the ice finally stopped giving out beneath him he picked himself up, brushed the snow from his tunic and for the first time took a look at his surroundings.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was like a temple, but unlike any temple he had every seen. The structure, seemingly built into the ice itself was adorned with colored glass and markings he only assumed were some kind of writing. As he walked cautiously out from the spot where he landed, the realization hit that this was no temple. As a man of science he could easily recognize a laboratory when he saw one. Burying his thrill he walked slowly forward gazing in almost childlike wonderment at the sights that his eyes beheld. He had heard stories of places like these. Remnents of advance civilizations long since gone whose technology would revolutionize his entire society.

He wanted to be the one to do it.

Not only for the good of his people . . . but for revenge. For the ability to right the wrongs that had been committed against him.

And his family.

His family was everything to him. A feeling not shared by the rest of his kind, who prided themselves upon backstabbing and treachery.

His parents. His brother. And now, his only son. All cut down by the flaws of his peoples own creation. By their insastiable need to conquer and destroy. He had always been different. Driven not so much for the need to destroy. To rule, as the others so blatantly called it. But to learn. His quest for knowledge and scientific discovery often outweighed his internal need to given into his less than pleasant nature. This awkward reversal of destiny made him outcast amongst his kind, a title he wore as a badge of honor. He had taken a bride in someone considered to be defective amongst his people for her difficulty in creating life. A small genetic flaw had made it almost impossible for his bride to concieve, and for this she was label a defect and shunned by all others. Considered to imperfect and unworthy of partnership.

He saw it differently.

Behind her flaws lied a brilliant mind, one almost akin to his own. One who shared his thirst for knowledge, the only true power that existed. He took her as a bride and thru much scientific research was able to bear with her a child. A son. His only son. A son now dead at the hands of the very leader who had ruled their people tyranically for so long. The leader that drove him out into the edges of space and to whom he now owed this awesome find. Unbenkownst to his enemies, he had born a daughter. Still in her infancy. Hidden and protected until he could find something, anything, to use as leverage to garner her protection and the protection of her mother. They were his family. His life. He would be lost without them. And even moreso, an entirely different, unrecognizable being.

As he turned the corner he stopped dumbstruck standing at the entrance way of a large rectangular chamber. At the center of the chamber was a large silver console he assumed was some sort of device used for data storage, an unbelievable find in and of itself. That however, was not what he was so in awe over. Surrounding the console were twelve glass coffins, each containing the body of a humanoid. From his estimations there were six male and six female. At first he thought of them as dead, until the his eyes caught the obvious life sign monitor at the side of each coffin. Not dead, he repeated, only sleeping.

Alive.

Steeling his courage, he stepped a foot inside. A blinding light overtook him and he found himself staring face to face with a tall, middle-aged looking woman of great beauty.

"Welcome friend, to Agharta."

"What is this place? And who are you?" he asked trying to hide his rising fear.

"You are in the city of Shambala. I am Morgan, guardian of The Twelve. And who my friend, may I ask, are you?"

A wide smile came across his face, a deep inflection in his voice.

"I am Anubis."

"Hello then, Anubis," she replied making an open waved motion with her arms. "Our fate is in your hands."

oooooo

"Daniel!"

Daniel shook the memory from his mind. He found himself standing at his locker, confused and staring off into space with Mitchell's hand gently shaking his arm.

"Are you okay? You kinda blanked out for a minute there. You were talkiing to Vala again, were you?"

"No," he replied smiling weakly and closing the door to his locker. "Just lost in thought there for a minute."

Mitchell eyed Daniel pensively, he was lying and he knew it. Deciding to saying nothing further, he gave Daniel's arm a reasurring pat on the shoulder.

"There waiting for us in the ring room. Lets get moving before Rodney starts annoying the away team with stories of his superior academic prowess."

Daniel merely nodded and followed Mitchell out the door. As they walked down to the ring room, his mind wandered. Had what he had just seen real? It felt real, as if he had actually lived it. Felt it. Something that disturbed him on many levels. However, his mind reminded him, he had been a host to Anubis, however briefly. Maybe there were remnants of his genetic memory still in his mind and if so, why now, of all times and places, did it chose to come to the surface?


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Shifu sat atop a large dune watching the three suns as they set over the horizon. Ever since figuring out Morgan's motivations, he found himself conflicted over his next actions. He knew that he should follow what Oma had wanted. Had planned for so long. On the other hand, Daniel meant a great deal to him. The closest thing to a father he had ever had. If he let the plan carry thru, it would bring him great harm.

"I had been told that I would find you here." a gentle voice said calling to him from behind.

Shifu smiled, "It is good to see you Grandfather."

Kasuf walked up beside Shifu and sat down, pating the young man on his shoulder.

"As it is good to see you, son of my daughter."

"How have you been?"

"It is strange Grandson. I understand that this is not really Abydos and that I am Ascended. But I do not feel it. I still feel . . . like myself."

"As was Oma's intention."

Kasuf smiled, "You need not continue pretending anymore Shifu. I know that it was Daniel, not Oma, who is responsible for this. That Oma only took credit to protect Daniel."

"That is exactly true."

"And I also know that Daniel is what brings you here."

"I come seeking your adivce."

"I am quite honored."

"I need an objective opinion. Someone whose advice is wise and someone who shares similar feelings about Daniel as I do."

"Then tell me Grandson, what is bothering you?"

"Morgan plans to turn Daniel Jackson into an Ancient. And I am conflicted as to whether or not I should stop her from doing so."

oooooo

As they turned the corner into the entrance of the ring room, the hairs on the back of Mitchell's head began to stand on end.

"I'll dial us to the ship," Daniel replied as Mitchell joined Rodney and the other members of the away team on the ring platform.

Watching Daniel as he dialed, Mitchell could not help but be overcome with a feeling of dread. Something was wrong, what, he wasn't sure. It only took a minute. A macrosecond more like it, for him to catch the look coming out of the corner of Daniel's eyes. A sudden realization coming upon him. He tried to stop him, but the rings fell down around them before he could. Mitchell could do nothing but watch as they dematierialized leaving Daniel behind.

oooooo

"An Ancient?" Kasuf asked looking at Shifu quizzically.

"Yes, Grandfather."

"But why Grandson?"

"Do you remember the story I told you about Orion and the Alterans and The Ori?"

"Yes."

"And how the Ori created a plague that after many generations almost wiped out the Alterans?"

"Yes, I remember."

"After the plague hit Earth and the Alterans fled to the Pegasus Galaxy, some began to follow the ways of Origin. Feeling that the plague was a way of being punished for not follwing the path Orion had set out for them. They did so in secret, for fear of persecution by The Others, a nickname they gave to anyone else who did not believe as they did. For generations they thrived in secret among the Lanteans, the citizens of Atlantis and the outposts that they created. Among them was Agartha, an underground outpost dedicated to to teaching the ways of Origin as Orion had originally intended. That all those who sought ways to the Great Path would arrive to it if they opened their hearts and minds to the knowledge that accompanies it. The Agarthians hid themselves on a planet rendered hospitable by terriforming, they're secret kept safe by its citizens taking up ranks within Lantean society as respected sceintists, leaders and philosophers. When they Wraith decimated the Lanteans and they made preparations to return to Earth, the thirteen remaining descendants of Orion's bloodline were spirited out of the Atlantis and taken to Agartha. There they were hidden in its capital city, Shambala, lying in cryogenic statis until the time came when they would be needed."

"Because the prophecy handed down by Orion that a descendant of his would one day unite everyone under the ways of Origin."

"The Prophet."

Kasuf looked at Shifu with instant realization, "Morgan believes Daniel is this Prophet."

"Yes."

"How is that possible?"

"Daniel is a descendant of the thirteenth member of the bloodline of Orion."

"So he is a descendant of Orion?"

"Yes."

"So he is this Prophet?"

"Maybe, maybe not. There were thirteen descendants of Orion and therefore many potential Prophets. They have come close many times but not one has ever worked out before. The closest they ever came to achieving the Prophet was Arthur, but that was only because an Ascended being named Merlin manipulated the situation so that it would turn out to be that way. Much like Morgan is trying to do with Daniel now."

"What happened with this Arthur?"

"After the Lanteans ascended they discovered what the Agarthians had done. They were met with much resitance from the Agarthians, who had come to Ascension thru means handed down to them by Orion. After thousands of years and being greatly outnumbered, the Lanteans set out to destroy The Thirteen. One such Agarthian leader, a once prominent Lantean leader known as Moros, was able to save one of the descendants before The Others had arrived. Knowing they would have a war on their hands if they did the dirty work themselves they led a Goa'uld named Anubis to the planet and let him do it for them. But I will tell you more about that part a little later. What you need to know is that Moros dropped Thirteen on densely populated world and explained to him his plans to create The Prophet. With Moros' hand and thru much careful breeding they were able to produce a child of immense intellect, physical and mental strength, a great sense of morality and conviction and a charismatic ability to lead others. His name was Arthur."

"This Arthur sounds much like our Daniel."

"And for good reason. When The Others realized what Moros had done they saw Arthur as a threat. Knowing this child had to be protected at all costs Moros gave up his ascended form and became Merlin. Merlin went to Arthurs parents and explained the situation as best as he could. Convincing them that there son was in danger and the only way to protect him was to put him into his care. They agreed. Merlin raised Arthur and prepared him for his destiny as a great leader among men. Morgan was sent to stop Merlin's plan. Knowing that she could not interefere directly with the lower beings, Morgan realized she would need a being just as strong as Arthur to rid herself of him. And what better way than to use his own child. Morgan tricked Arthur into sleeping with a young maiden named Guinevere. A maiden, unbenknownst to him, was intended to become his bride. Guinevere discovered her pregnancy before her betroval to Arthur had become official. Fearing the scandal it would cause, she sought the help of Arthur's aunt Morgause who spirited her away to a convent to have the child and then set out to have him secretly adopted. Guinevere returned after having the child and married Arthur. Now Morgause was an ambititous woman, knowning what kind of power it would be to raise the son of a king she adopted the child herself and named him Mordred. He was a match for Arthur in everyway and thanks to being raised by Morgause, held great resentment towards his father. When Mordred was grown, he destroyed his father and the kingdom he had created. Merlin led the dying Arthur to Ascension, and soon after was trapped in cryostasis by Morgan to prevent him from trying this again."

"And why now is Morgan trying to do what this Merlin started?"

"She realized too late that Merlin was trying to create The Prophet because he knew it was only a matter of time before the Ori would become a threat. Knowing she couldn't free Merlin, she set out to continue what he started. Now Arthur had no other children besides Mordred but Mordred did. Morgan took one of Mordred's descendants and brought them to Earth and continued the cycle Merlin had started resulting in Daniel."

"And turning Daniel into an Ancient is part of Morgan's plan to make him into the Prophet."

"Yes. However, the Ori have taken a page out of Morgan's book. They have manipulated Daniel and a woman named Vala Mal Doran, who thanks to Anubis' manipulation shares some distant genetic relation to Orion and have created a child. A child with all of his strengths and weaknesses and intention to be raised with the manipulative power of the Ori to turn her into a Mordred. An instrument of Daniel's destruction."

"Do not get me wrong, Grandson, I know that I have come to understand things in a way I never could before and that I am still learning, but if the Ori plan to create this great being to destroy Daniel, wouldn't his becoming the Prophet save him in some way?"

"In theory it could, but Morgan has yet to learn the lesson that Merlin paid dearly for."

"And what would that be?"

"Fate is a wild beast, Grandfather, it does not like to be tamed. With all of the manipulations that Morgan has done she has yet to realize that you cannot guide everything and that somethings are just out of our control. And if she tries to manipulate Daniel into becoming the Prophet and he is not meant to become the Prophet. I fear what fate will have in store for him."

oooooooo

By the time the light had faded and the rings has vanished, Daniel found himself surrounded by ornate colored glass he immediately recognized to be Ancient in nature. Barely having time to take it all in he noticed that there was a young woman standing before him. Her slight pallor and dark curly hair seemed oddly familiar in some way.

"Hello Daniel," she said with a soft smile. "My name is Aja."

"Hello, Aja."

"There are things we need to discuss."

"And that would be, what, exactly."

"Many things," Aja replied walking up to Daniel until she was only within a few inches of his face. "But lets start with the big one. The child Vala carries is yours and if you don't do exactly what I say, you will never know her."


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

A gambit of emotion and confusion ran thru Daniel. The revelations of the last few days ultimately boiling over. He stood there, emoteless and immobile, until finally he found the courage to speak.

_"What-the-hell-is-going-on?!"_

"I know you must be very confused."

"Confused? Confused, doesn't begin to explain how I feel right now. I have had so much crap dumped on me the last few days I feel as if my head is about to explode!"

"And you deserve to know the reasons why. That is why you are here."

Aja walked up to Daniel and grabbed him by the hands, "Follow me."

"Where?"

"Just over to the console. There is something I want you to see."

"Why?"

"Because all anyone has been doing to either one of us is telling us things. I am not sure about you but I am tired of all the exposition. Besides, what I am about to show you I cannot readily explain it. It must be experienced to truly be understood. Will you come?"

Daniel looked into Aja's eyes. There was a kindness to them. Although everything within him told him to be weary, he could help but trust them too.

"Yes."

oooo

"_Dammit Daniel!"_ Mitchell exclaimed as he materialized in the ring room of the Goa'uld ship.

The other members of the boarding party looked to Mitchell in momentary confusion. It took them only seconds to realize that there was someone missing.

"Where's Dr. Jackson?" Rodney asked as he looked around the room. "Wasn't he with us when we ringed aboard?"

"No," Mitchell replied as he held down the button on his radio. "Odyssey this Mitchell, come in."

"Yes, Colonel. This is Lieutenant Boggs. We read you loud and clear."

"Odyssey, Dr. Jackson is not with us is he still on the ship?"

Several seconds passed as they anxiously awaited their response.

"Negative, Colonel. Dr. Jackson ringed to the planet moments after you matierialized on the ship."

"_And you just let him go!"_

"He said it was important Colonel. And Dr. Jackson doesn't usually say something like that unless it really is."

"Dr. Jackson also rarely defies orders, or abadons his team. Would that tell you that something is not right with this situation?"

Silence fill the air as the Lieutenant realized he was right.

"Sorry, sir."

"Listen, Boggs, don't go beating yourself up over this. You're doing what everyone else does where Dr. Jackson is concerned: you ignore it, let the chips fall where they may, and hope it all works out in the end. Hell, SG1 does it, why shouldn't you?"

"Yes, sir. What are your orders sir?"

"There are three things I need you to do, ASAP. Are we clear?"

"Crystal. Anything you as want you, Colonel."

"First, you locate Colonel Carter, tell her she can pull her ass away from her experiments for two seconds and have her ring up to the ship immediately. When she asks why, and knowing Sam how could she not, you tell her to think about that colorful conversation we had in the elevator when this mess all started."

"Already working on it sir. Anything else?"

"Next, I want you to find Dr. Lam. Tell her whats going on and tell her to go over Daniel's test again. Especially anything she ran on that supposed memory burst."

"Is there anything specific you want her to look for?"

"A trigger."

"Consider it done."

"And, Boggs, this is the most important. Send a message to Atlantis. Find out if anything strange has happened since the last time we spoke to them. Be discreet about it a possible. Understood."

"As you wish Colonel."

"Mitchell out," as he let go of the radio button and turned to the rest of the boarding party.

"What's going on, Colonel?" Rodney asked trying not to let his anxiousness get the better of him. "Why did you have them contact Atlantis?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have a sinking suspicion that we may have just walked into a trap."

oooo

Daniel watched as Aja led him thru the colored glass corridors. It reminded him of the outpost they had discovered in Antartica, only on a much grander scale. Sensing his curiousity, she looked back and smiled before speaking.

"It was a museum."

"A museum?" he asked quizzically as they continued on thru the structure.

Aja nodded, "The size of an entire city. They called it Shambala."

"Like the mythical city of Buddhist lore. On our planet there are legends of a city of great enlightenment in which its citizens lived in peacefully tranquility and harmony."

"That it was."

"You said it was a museum. What was it dedicated to?"

"The Great Path."

"Ascension?"

Aja watched as Daniel's eyes went wide with excitement. Just as Netan's did when he made some great discovery. She couldn't help but giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"You remind me of my husband. He's a historian. He tends to beam in the same manner as you just did."

"Where is your husband, I would like to meet him."

"He is with your friends on our ship. I suspect they are getting better acquainted as we speak."

The manner in which she spoke struck Daniel as odd. It was a strange almost sing-songy tone. He was about to inquire as to exactly what she he realized they had suddenly stopped.

"We're here."

Daniel looked at the sight before him in momentary confusion. It looked to be nothing more than a large aquarium.

"I don't understand."

"Look closer."

Despite his internal objections, Daniel stepped closer until he was just inches from the glass. It was then he saw it. Floating at the bottom of the tank was a large whale-like creature.

"What is it?"

"An experiment."

"An experiment? What kind?"

"When the virus began wiping out the Ancients, Ascension was the last thing on any of their minds. They went about to find a cure thru more scientific means to cheat death. They had discovered a planet of reptile that contained amazing regenerative abilities. They felt that if they studied the creature hard enough, they could determine the means in which they did so and scientifically replicate it. The experiments they conducted were cruel and inhuman. They cared not for the well being of the creature or how it suffered. Only that it could mean the end of their suffering. They justified this behavior by saying that they were sentient and therefore, did not understand suffering. Eventually they came to realize this was not true and the experiments were abandoned."

"How did they discover they were sentient?"

"By accident. One of the reptiles escaped and was exposed to a highly radioactive substance. This substance caused the reptile to mutate, become intelligent. It soon produced offspring that showed not only intellect but the ability to learn. The experiments were deemed to be immoral and they were abandoned. They left the reptiles on a planet where they could flourish and evolve on their own. The Ancients eventually died out but these reptiles only continued their evolution. They crossed paths with the local inhabitants of the planet for which they were essentially abadoned and learned to take the next steps in their evolution thru symbiosis with these unfortunate creatures. It was at this time that they discovered the meaning of emotions and memories and you'll never forget the first thing they discovered."

"Pain. Suffering. The cruelty that the Ancients ahd inflicted on them."

Aja smiled softly, "I knew you would catch on."

Yeah," Daniel said as dread began to build in the pit of his stomach. "I think I know where this is headed."

Bending down so that he was now face to face with what he realized was a lifeless creature, he fought back the tears, the anger, the rage that was slowly building inside of him.

"Its a Goa'uld" he whispered as his voice cracked softly from the emotion of the revelation. "You're telling me that the Ancients were responsible for the creation of the Goa'uld."


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

"Yes.

Daniel walked away from the aquarium, the emotional rollercoaster of the last few days finally breaking thru.

"You're telling me that The Ancients. The GateBuilders -- they made the Goa'uld."

"Yes."

"The Goa'uld that took my wife from me were a byproduct of The Ancients attempts to cheat death."

"Yes."

"Why are you showing this to me?"

"So you'll understand."

"Understand what?"

"That Gaia is the reason for everything!" Aja said pointed to the creature in the tank.

"Gaia?"

"It is what the Ancients named her."

"On Earth Gaia is considered the primordial mother goddess, a chthonic deity of creation. Its funny how on the money some things can be."

"I know this is alot to take in."

"You think?"

"But it will make what I say next make much more sense to you."

"And what would that be?"

"I told you to follow me and you did. You do not know who I am or where we were going. But you followed willingly."

"And?"

"I told you Vala carries your child and you did not even blink."

"Your point?"

"It doesn't even bother you, does it?"

"No."

"And you don't find that to be the slightest bit odd, do you?"

Aja watched as Daniel carefully thought over her words and almost as if a fog had been lifted, he backed away from her slowly.

"Whats happening to me?"

"Its nothing really. Just the nanites that Father implanted into your brain doing their job."

"Nanites?"

"They lay dormant in your cerebral cortex until your first conversation with Vala a few days ago."

A stabbing sensation began to twist in Daniel's gut, "The memory burst."

"More like a trigger. And the best part, Father buried it so deep in your brain that unless they know what they're looking for, they will never find them."

"Father?"

"You actually know him quite well, he was in possesion of your body for several hours before he started shooting people."

"Anubis."

"I mean, think about it for a second. He could have easily hitched a ride with anyone at the SGC, instead he chose you. And it was several hours before you were to leave the planet. What do you think he was doing all that time?"

"Well, according to you, he was injecting nanites in my brain. Do I even _want_ to know how he managed to do that?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Its actually quite disgusting. Even for me, and I'm a Goa'uld."

"Aja, daughter of Anubis."

"Actually its Kebechet, Aja was the name of my host."

_"Was your host?"_

"Yes, sadly, she passed away a few hours ago, along with my symbiote."

"She died with the symbiote?"

"You know better than anyone else that the mind is a seperate entity from the body. When I say that she died with the symbiote, I mean when its heart gave its last grueling thump, it was Aja's mind that occupied its body."

"You switched your minds? I _want_ to know how you did that one?"

"Its easy actually. She let me."

"_She let you_?"

"Aja suffered from severe and degenerative mental illness. If I had not taken control, we would have both been lost. Even in the body of the symbiote, it would not have kept either of us safe forever. She knew that. Towards the end she didn't even know who she really was half the time. She gave her last breath believing she really was a Goa'uld. Every moment she was alive was agony. I loved her like a sister, her loss is very painful to me. I take comfort in knowing that she must be in a better place."

"And I'm supposed to believe you?"

"No, I meant what I said when I told you that I wanted to show you rather than tell you."

"Isn't that what Gaia was for?"

"I showed you Gaia so that when you've seen what I have to show you, it will all make sense. You'll understand that part soon enough. And you know as well as I do you would have never come without asking questions and frankly, you weren't ready for them. We implanted the nanites to ensure that none of the normal barriers that would have kept you from being here at this very moment would have stood in your way."

"Well, I'm here, what do you want to show me?"

"Daniel, what's really going on, how all the pieces fit together, are beyond anything you could imagine. You will come to see how everything that has happened to you has led you to this moment and will lead you down the path you are about to undertake."

"So you're talking about what, my destiny?"

"No. What I am talking about is the fact that like Gaia, you are nothing more than a byproduct of an Ancient experiment gone awry. And how, like the mighty civilization that grew from that mistake, you too, can be so much more."


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

"Follow me," Kebechet said as she grabbed Daniel by the hands and let him away from the aquarium.

As they walked Daniel found his mind begin to fog again, and he knew that it was the nanites at work. Whatever they were exactly doing to him was unclear, but he felt more and more like Pavlov's dog unable to resist salivating, or in his case, accepting without question, things he normally wouldn't be able to shut up about. They walked only a few feet to the other side of the aquarium. There in spectuacular prismatic color and design was an ancients weapons platform like the one they had discovered in Antartica. Only the designs on the chair were more triangular and intricately multicolored. The chair itself at least twice the size of any other he had seen previously.

"The primary function of these devices had always been for defense. However the Agarthians had no need for protection. They were a place of peace and no matter what differences they may have had with their Lantean bretheren, it remained so. When the city was built they decided to put the platform to a better use."

"What does it do?" Daniel asked when he finally found the strength to speak.

"It reads genetic memory."

"Genetic memory?"

"Our memories, our emotions, they are more than just mental they are biological. Whatever happens to us in our minds leaves a physcial imprint so small that if a being is strong enough, it can become encoded on their DNA. All living creatures possess the ability to create it, some, like the Goa'uld, are more affected by it that most. The Ancients moreso than others. Humans, however, seem to be less and less affected by genetic memory as they evolve."

"It makes sense, humans once were creatures of instinct, they needed to rely on the foreknowledge of their ancestors in order to survive a harsh environment, as they adapted to that environment such knowledge must have been supressed when there was no longer a need for it. What did they use it for?"

"The Agarthians used it for educational purposes. They felt that a more interactive approach to learning would allow younger generations to appreciate the past in a way that simply reading about it ever could. A living textbook, if you will. Uniquely suited to your own DNA, giving every situation, especially shared ones, many perspectives."

Daniel approached the platform with caution, remembering all too well how sensitive they were to even the slightest movement. As he stood there staring at something he had always attributed to being a weapon of war, he realized that he had always been so occupied by the grandoise nature of the Ancients he never gave a great deal of thought to such simple things as educational standards. However with such an opportunity before him, now seemed as good a time as any to do just that.

"What do I have to do?" he asked as he turned towards Kebechet beaming widely.

"Before I show you what you need to see there are things that I need for you to keep in mind. The first is that there is no such thing as destiny. No matter how well mapped our lives might be, whether its ourselves or thru others, it is ultimately our choices that lead us down certain paths. Destiny is a word people tell themselves when they have limited choices and with little options they end up at the same destination no matter what decision they make. The second is that if you come to a fork in the road and all four paths are covered in darkness, choose wisely before you select a road to travel down. There are different degrees of darkness and its important that you be able to tell the difference. Some dark paths one cannot turn back from once traveling on them. The last and most important, the journey for which you are about to embark holds many dangers. Genetic memory itself being the biggest. It is powerful and seductive. Like a drug, if you allow oneself to get caught within its thrall it is too easy to become lost in it. Oma had the foresight to try to prepare you, but I doubt even she could have had the ability to predict this. Once you get caught in the grip of the genetic memory, you cannot turn back. It is why where you are going I cannot follow. I do not possess the strength to resist its temptations. I only pray, that for all our sakes Daniel Jackson, that you are stronger than I."

Daniel merely nodded, allowing the information to sink in as he stepped up onto the platform and sat down in the chair.

"Do not force it. You will only be able to go where you are ready to go. If a door does not open, move on to the next. The barriers exist to protect you both mentally but most importantly, physically. Your body has been under an unusual amount of stress in the past few days and the device requires an enormous amount of concentration to work effectively. The workload put on vital functions, especially the beating of the heart, is tremendous. Even for the Ancients. They had strict regulations on its usage. They never allowed a single person to use it for more than thirty minutes during one sitting."

"Why thirty minutes?"

"That is how long, according to Ancient records, it takes the physical strain to cause a 'heavy and irreversible systemic collapse of vital cardiac functions in widespread extent.'"

"On my planet, we just call it a heart attack."

Sensing Daniel's tension at this revelation, she spoke softly and reasurringly.

"The risk is great, but the reward you will gain from it is even better."

"Its an awfully big risk for something you could easily tell me about."

"I could tell you but you would never truly understand."

"That's still a big risk."

"You've always been a risk taker. You have gambled with your life for less and often for no reason. And now, at a moment where the payoff will be spectacular, not just for you, but for all of human kind, you're afraid to take the risk? That is not the Daniel Jackson I had come to know."

Daniel hated to admit that she had a point. He had died for less than the benefits he could gain from the experience. And even if things were to go awry The Odyssey is in orbit. And if the whole point of this journey was a way for him to return to the person he was before his life experiences jaded him, why not just go for it? _What the hell do I really have to lose?_

"How do I turn this thing on?" Daniel asked alook of fierce determination crept across his face.

Kebechet looked down at Daniel with what he thought was pride.

"Start with thinking about a happy place. This destination will act as your window out should you become overwhelmed before you have reached the timed limit. Are you ready Daniel Jackson?"

"As I could ever be," he replied as he sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

A few seconds later the chair began to glow as it reclined backwards. Kebechet watched as Daniel's eyes moved rapidly beneath his lids, as if dreaming. The console to the right of the chair turned on, displaying Daniel's vital. A soft melodic, and slowly increasing heartbeat, which she recognized as belonging to Daniel, echoed fiercly in the room.

"Good luck," she whispered as she exited the room swiftly, closing two large panels behind her.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Kebechet walked the main hallway back towards the entrance of the city when she was disturbed by a cold prescence. Stopping abruptly she turned to see Morgan standing behind her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm carrying out the plan, what does it look like?"

"This is not what I planned."

"Who said it was yours?"

Morgan's eyes widenend with astonishment.

"Don't act so shocked. You tried to kill me! What did you think I would, just follow along?"

"I _assumed_ you would be able would understand that my way is the best for all involved."

"Well you _assumed_ incorrectly now, didn't you?"

"What do you plan to gain by all of this?"

"I plan to disable the security barriers that shut the device down at the thirty minute window."

Morgan stood thunderstuck, "You cannot be serious?" You will kill him!"

"No, I won't. I know what really happens after thirty minutes. What did Daniel call it -- a heart attack -- sufficient lie. It gave even Daniel pause."

"If he goes past the thirty minute window -- he'll become a monster."

"Accoring to whom? You?"

"I have seen what happens once a being breaches the barrier. It is ... horrifying."

"The ignorant tend to fear what they do not understand. You're kind did not even try with The Others, did you? You just tossed them aside like you did with my ancestors. It is ironic how both situations have come to bite you back, isn't it?"

"So this is your idea of revenge?"

"Not revenge, accountibility. Your kind never takes responsibility for your own mistakes and it is others who must suffer for it. If you hadn't been so stuck in your logical ways and dealt with the Ori when you had the chance, none of us would be at this moment. Instead, you wait until there is a problem and then you try to fix it in your own half assed ways. The Thirteen were people, living beings whom you sold out as lab experiments in order to find someone else powerful enough to fix the Ori problem because you obiviously weren't going to. Daniel and Aja were innocents. Just as Gaia and my ancestors whom you tortured and slaughtered because they were so primative you deemed them as inferior. Victims of your carelessness. It is clear that nothing short of universe altering is going to change that about you. So thats what I plan to do."

"You have no idea what Daniel is capable of. Oma didn't either. When she realized it, convinced him to descend. She sent him back as human and the most important, no access to the knowledge he gained as an Ascended. If he gains access to those memories he will be just as much a threat as Anubis was."

"Father was only a threat because you deemed him so. Oma's attempt to deascend him upon learning that he was a Goa'uld fractured him mentally. He was left listless and broken, unable to do anything but sit and watch as his family was systematically destroyed. His soul along with it. I refuse to let you do that to Daniel. If he is destined to become an awakened mind, so be it."

"Not like this! No being should awaken to enlightenment in such a way!"

"Why, because its not they way you wanted it to be? That is the problem with the Ascended. It is either your way or no way."

"This way is cruel."

"This way gives him a choice. If Daniel is to become the Prophet then he should do so on his own terms. Not the way you want him to come by it. Puts him in control, not you."

"He won't be able to control it! You are dooming us!"

"And by us you mean the Ascended. If Daniel becomes the Prophet and he does so by his own terms, you will be unable to control him. And, if as it is written, he will lead us all to the Great Path, Where does that leave you? As it stands you're kind are the hierarchy when it comes to Ascension but if Daniel opens doors to enlightenment for all beings, then that hierarchy disappears."

"You need to stop and think about what you are doing."

"I have. It is as Daniel put it, either you will adapt or evolution will find you unecessary and be rid of you. It is that simple."

"I will stop you."

Kebechet grinned, "I would like to see you try."

Morgan lifted her hands to her sides, her face stalwart and unfeeling, she raised them up to strike. But nothing happened. Kebechet could only laugh.

"You see that loophole that existed for my Father regarding the rules of the Ascended, kinda apply with me as well. Which means that still being human, albeit a power and enlightened human, you are powerless to lay a finger on me. That protection, sadly, doesn't go both ways."

Kebechet threw up her arm before her and the hall was engulfed with a bright light. Morgan tried to scream but her breath came out only in gasps. She struggled to move. To fight back against the ebbing pain the radiated down her body. As the realization his her that for the first time in longer than she could remember what pain was, there was an explosion in her chest. A loud and hard thumping filled her ears and it only took her seconds to realize what was happening. She was being forced to descend. She was becoming mortal. Her eyes widened in terror as she felt the blood rushing thru her veins, as her heart beat painfully. This shouldn't be possible. Not even the collective power of The Others could force another being to descend. She tried to speak, tried to ask but found she did not have the breath. She knew then, she was being more than descended. Morgan looked to Kebechet and watched agonizingly as her iris turned a bright orange. Similar colored vein-like tendrils began to bleed into her pupil as the pain in her chest grew unbearable. She breathed deeply just once more and then the nothingness of death took her. Kebechet watched as Morgan's body fell to the floor with a large thud. Lowering her hand to her side she allowed her own heart and breathing to return to normal and her eyes to their normal color. Once she had felt sufficently recovered she walked over to the corpse, kicking it gently with her foot as if to ensure she was dead.

"Trust me when I say I know what I am doing," she said looking up at the cieling as if speaking to unknown forces. "Do not make me have to do this again."

Kebechet stood momentarily waiting for any reaction to her words. When none came she turned and walked quietly back down the hall.


	41. Chapter 41

****

CHAPTER 41

Vala held her stomach tightly. The words just spoken by her child still ringing thru her mind.

_We cannot both exist. In order for one to flourish, one must perish. . . __And the time shall come when you will have to choose which one of us that will be._

"What do you mean the time will come when I will have to choose?" she asked trying to hold back the quiver in her voice.

_You are our common bond. The one thing that links us both together. It can only be you._

"I would never be able to choose between you or Daniel. But knowing your father, he would want me to choose you."

_Would you choose me?_

Vala hesitated. The idea of having to choose whether Daniel or their daughter died a concept too unsettling to think about.

_If it takes you this long to respond, then I guess we both know what your ansnwer would be._

"How dare you say that!" she cried trying to quell the tears forming in her eyes. "I couldn't choose either one of you."

_But you will. The Book of Origin says so._

Vala whispered in a hushed, soothing tone. "What did I just finish telling you? Just because The Ori wrote about it years ago does not mean it will come to pass. If there is anything you need to know about your father it is he is a man that defies expectations and I am almost certain that it is something that he passed along to you."

Vala sat in silence. And for a moment she was granted silence. The child thought of nothing, and for that Vala was grateful. A soft rustle coming from the brush broke Vala's concentration. Quickly, she picked herself up and found herself staring Tomin in the face.

"Hello Vala."

Vala turned to run but found herself surrounded by several Priors.

"Did you honestly believe you could escape us?"

"Honestly? Yes." Vala replied smiley half heartedly.

Tomin said nothing as he nodded to one of the Priors, who bound Vala's hands together.

"Don't do this," Vala pleaded as she looked deep into Tomin's eyes.

"I am deaf to your pleads! I follow only the will of the Ori!"

"How did you find me?"

"The Orici told me where to find you."

Vala looked to her stomach, utter shock growing on her face.

"You told them where to find me?"

__

I cannot permit us to leave.

"But what about -- I don't understand -- you seemed --"

__

I know Mother, and I am sorry for the deception. However I needed to keep you distracted long enough for Tomin to find us.

"Why?" Vala asked as tears streamed down her face.

__

Self preservation. And it is written: "The Mother walked into the temple and there The Prophet and The Orici lay, each heartbeat bringing them closer to their last. Knowing that she could only save one, she chose with her heart and left the other to perish." The Book of Origin does not foretell which one of us you will choose and after our conversation, I realized that you will never choose me. So I have had to take the choice from you. When it is all said and done, you will realize Mother, that this is for the best.

Vala did not struggle as the Priors dragged her away. Her heart was too broken, her will too crushed. She had honestly thought she had gotten thru to her and there were no words to describe the pain of realizing that not only that she hadn't but she never going to.

She never stood a chance.

ooooo

Daniel's return to consciousness was instantaneous.

He lay there in a momentary fog, unaware of his surroundings, unaware that the mere act of waking had spiked his heart rate from a calming 77 to 90 beats per minute. As he became more and more in tune with himself he could feel the rapid strumming in his chest. He lay there breathing deeply, one hand over his chest, as he slowly calmed his heart to normal. Looking around he realized that he was no longer in the Ancient chair, but laying in a recliner in his den, the rockiin' sounds of Simon and Garfunkel's _Sounds of Silence_ coming from his record player.

"Oh, I am so glad Jack isn't here to see this'" he breathed as he slowly sat up.

Rubbing his hands against the arms of the chair, he marveled at the sensory affect. It seemed so real. As if he really was sitting in his den. After a few seconds he stood. The words Kebechet spoke to him going on like a record in the back of his mind.

He had only thiry minutes. There was no time to waste on aesthetics. Taking a step forward, he swayed. The strumming in his chest increased. Breathing deeply he pushed past the discomfort and made his way to the hallway. When he reached the archway, he slumped up against it, feeling as if he had just ran a marathon. Glancing up, he saw a long cooridor of wooden doors. Each with a different ancient symbol carved upon them. Walking up to one, he recognized it right away. There was similar writings adorning the walls of Kheb. Concentrating on the door before him, he took a moment to translate it.

It stated simply: _That from which all things came._

"I'm guessing this is as good a place to start as any," he whispered softly as he reached down and turned the knob.

As he entered the room, the door slammed shut behind him.


	42. Chapter 42

****

CHAPTER 42

John Sheppard stood in the doorway of Carson Beckett's office lost in thought. He heard the footsteps behind him, their soft, yet stalwart tread he immediately recognized.

"Hey, Teyla," he whispered, not bothering to turn to greet her.

"John."

"Did Elizabeth tell you what happened with Carson?"

"Yes," she replied, unable to hide the pain in her voice. "She said a blood vessel burst in his brain."

"Yeah, its called an aneurysm."

"I don't understand this. Carson just had his physical assessment. We all did. How come they didn't find anything?"

Turning to Teyla for the first time, Sheppard's face filled with determination.

"Exactly. Teyla -- I mean, I'm no doctor, and I understand that sometimes these things can go undected, but that's with Earth quality equiptment. We're talking Ancient grade medical diagnostic equiptment failed to pick up something like an aneurysm -- It makes no sense!"

"The Ancients were far from perfect John, in the years we have spent on Atlantis we have had our share of equiptment malfunctions. And how are we to tell that this condition didn't develop sometime after his exam."

"Its been a little over a week since the assessments, and with the exception of a severe head injury, he couldn't have developed something that serious that fast. The docs can't explain how it happened. And as equiptment failure, the ancient diagnostic device found that pin sized hole in Rodney's heart. You know the one he almost gave himself a heart attack over until Carson managed to sit him down and explain it to him that he's had it since birth and it was completely harmless?"

"Yes, I remember that week fondly. Rodney spent most of it walking around, talking at great lengths about funerary arraingements."

Teyla caught the glint in Sheppard's eyes. One she had seen him wear many times before.

"You believe someone did this to Carson, don't you?" she spoke in a suspicious tone.

"Right now, I don't know what to think. All I know is that something isn't sitting right with me."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Remember how I told you about that mission we were going on once Daniel Jackson arrived at Atlantis?"

"I remember fondly every detail of your proposed suicide mission and how neither Ronan or myself were allowed to go."

"Now's not the time to be snippy, Teyla."

Teyla opened her mouth as if to speak, when Zelenka appeared right behind her, flustered and out of breath.

"Radek, what did you do, run a marathon?" John asked more than happy to change the subject.

"Practically. We just recieved a message from Colonel Mitchell."

"What did it say?"

"It asked if anything strange or unexpected had occured since the last time we made contact."

John and Teyla exchanged suspicious glances before turning their attention to Zelenka.

"Who else knows about the message?"

"So far, only the three of us Colonel."

"Inform Weir, but no one else, got it?"

Zelenka nodded.

"Now, Radek, I need another favor from you. Now I know that there aren't any security cameras in the infirmary or Dr. Becketts office because of the whole Doctor/Patient confidentiality bullcrap, so we can't see what exactly happened to him. However, is there anyway to find out what he may have been doing or working on prior to his 'incident'?"

"Carson doesn't like using the Ancient database to store his research or patient information. He uses his laptop. I could hack into it, pull up the last files he accessed."

"You don't mind invading his privacy?"

"If invading his privacy saves his life, I'll deal with whatever reprecussion comes with it."

"Good. Now what did you do with the message from Mitchell?"

"I have it stored on the hard drive in my office."

"Any chance I could see it?"

"I'll have it qeued up to the laptop in your quarters in about five minutes."

"Thanks, Radek."

"Don't mention it Colonel."

Sheppard watched as Zelenka walked away, waited until he was out of earshot before turning and walking into Beckett's office. Anger ridden on his face.

"Okay, playtime's over. Show yourself. Now."

Teyla looked to Sheppard with confusion, until a bright light eminated just a foot before him. A familliar figure stood warily.

"Chaya?" she asked looking to John. "How did you know?"

"I just knew."

"Hello John," Chaya replied with a simpled nod. "Teyla."

"You're the one who told me that something was wrong with Beckett?"

"Yes."

"Did you have anything to do with what happened to Beckett?"

Chaya did not respond. Sheppard knew his answer.

"I want you to tell me everything," he said trying desperately to contain the anger boiled inside of him.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning."

With a reluctant sigh, Chaya began to speak.


	43. Chapter 43

****

CHAPTER 43

Cameron Mitchell's stood in the ring room alone. He watched as they activated and the form of Samantha Carter materialized in front of him. Wasting no time his fellow Colonel approached, confusion written all over her face.

"When did Daniel ring down to the planet?"

"Almost immediately after we ringed aboard the ship."

"Have you tried to contact him?"

Mitchell nodded,"His com is turned off and before you even ask, I've tried to ring down after him, but we can't establish a connection to the planet. I think Daniel jammed the signal. McKay is trying to find a way around that."

Carter's faced became etched with worry. "We tried to ring his back onboard the ship but we were unable to locate his signal. Telemetry shows the planet is a virtual frozen tundra. It's causing intereference with the ships sensors."

A heavy silence stood betwen them before a frustrated Carter broke the tension.

"Go ahead, say it."

"Say what Carter? That I was right. You were wrong. That Daniel should have stayed at the base until we found out more about what the hell was going on with him. Is that what you want me to say?"

"Well, isn't it?"

"No, Sam, it isn't. Because right now, this isn't about you. Or me. Or Jack. Or Teal'c. Or how any of _us_ is feeling at the moment. Its about Daniel. So, I'm sorry, I'm not going to stand here and place the blame on you so that you can feel guilty and sorry for yourself."

"You've got some nerve!" Carter snapped back, unable to hide her resentment at his statement.

"You've got the nerve. You've got the nerve guilt tripping me with how much I don't know about Daniel. But you know what? I know who Daniel is, not who he was. Which is more that I can say for you."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning he's a different person, Sam," Mitchell stated with a glint of tenderness in his voice. "You need to deal with that. You have to be able to see Daniel for who he is, not who you want him to be. We all do."

Carter's expression softened, "What do you need me to do?"

Mitchell smiled softly in response, "Why don't you help out McKay, see if there is anyway you can help him unjam the rings."

"What will you do?"

"I'm going to take Reynolds and few of the grunts and explore the ship. After all, its why we are here."

Don't you think thats dangerous. I mean we have no idea why Daniel was so adamant about coming here. It could be a trap."

"Exactly. Which means there may be information here that can help. I don't like this anymore than you do, but Daniel is in trouble and we have to figure out what's going on before something really bad happens."

ooooooo

Kebechet stood in the transport area near the stasis chamber that held her for nearly a decade. Her ice coffin. The symbol of her imprisonment and personal hell.

"I do not know what exactly happen to you Father," she whispered as she glided her hand along its icy surface. "Whether you are dead or alive. I know that part of you is with me. It has always been. I could hear you speak to me. Talking to me as I am to you now, uncertain if your words could reach me. You have no idea how much that sustained me. Kept me from losing my mind during my convalescence."

Kebechet squeezed her eyes shut, as if the very action would quell the emotions threatening to unleash themselves.

"I've done it Father. Soon your last wish will be fulfilled."

"And what wish would that be?" echoed a voice from behind.

Kebechet frozen in place at the recognition. Terror gripping every fiber of her being, her heart lurching as she slowly turned around to face it.

"Netan?" she asked nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"I became worried when you did not return," he replied, his voice somber and hollow, "So I ringed down to see what had happened. I saw you come out from the chamber and was about to greet you, when Dr. Jackson arrived."

"Why have you not returned? It is vital that you stayed on that ship."

"I tried but it seems Dr. Jackson jammed the signal, I cannot return. So I hid from sight."

"Why did you not show yourself to me sooner?"

"I was finding the conversations to be rather enlightening." he replied, a touch of malice in his voice.

Kebechet felt a knot in the pit of her stomach as she watched his face turn cold and emotionless before her eyes.

"What did you hear?"

"Enough," he stated as he walked closer to her coming to a stop about a two feet before her. "Enough to know that you lied to me. . . And enough to know that you are not my wife."

Kebechet took a step towards Netan but found herself with a weapon pointed to her face.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Bright sunlight filled every fiber of Daniel's being. Holding his hand to his brow to block out its rays, he noticed for the first time that he was standing atop a jagged mountain.

"Hello, Daniel."

Startled Daniel turned around, only to have the blaring rays of the sun flash in his eyes.

"Sorry," the voice stated in a repetant tone.

Beneath squinted eyes, Daniel could see the world around him darken. Slowly he opened his eyes to see the mountain was surrounded by perpetual cloud cover.

For thw first time, Daniel saw the figure before him. A tall, portly man with receeding brown hair and kindly green eyes. Dressed head to toe like the monk he had encountered at Kheb, the man bore the widest, most serene grin Daniel had ever seen.

"Who are you?" he asked nervously.

"Where are my manners," the man said extending his hand to Daniel. "For conversation purposes, call me Indra."

Daniel accepted the mans hand, his face squinting into what Jack had always reffered to as his "Archaeologist Face" or the expression he made while in contemplative thought.

"There is an Indra in Earth mythology. He's a Vedic archetypal god. Similar to Zeus."

Indra's smile widened as he let go of Daniel's hand.

"It is nice to know that one is remembered, even after they are long gone."

"According to the mythology Indra was a great warrior. A protector of mankind against evil. Although he had many aspects he was primarily known as a god of thunder and harnessed the power of lightening . . . " Daniel's words trailed off as a realization hit him.

Indra nodded to Daniel, as if giving him permission to say aloud what he had just realized.

"You're an Ascended Being."

"Although Ascended Being is not the technical term for what Indra was, it is as an accurate a term as you will be able to comprehend. So, in essence Indra is an _Ascended Being. _The first of whom your kind ever crossed paths with."

"You're the one the Book of Origin talks about. The Great Being that led Orion to Ascension?"

"One and the same."

Taken aback with all that he was taking in, Daniel stepped cautiously back from Indra.

"You need not be afraid, Daniel. The manifestation of Indra is merely a representation of all that Orion knew and thru the genetic matierial he passed down to you. My words, my actions, fueled only by the hidden truths your conscious mind is unaware of. The Ascended Being that Indra once was, has long departed from existence."

"So this is just a physical manifestation of my genetic memory based on that of a once real being and fueled by my own thought and those whose genetic matierial I happen to share?"

"One could say that?"

"Just checking."

Daniel moved up closer to Indra, taking a look at the man's gentle unassuming figure.

"The script on the front of the door said 'That from which all things came' what exactly does that mean?"

"What it means, Daniel Jackson, is that the precidament of which you find yourself is not a new one. While the everyday is muted and varied, there are moments in existence that are cyclical in nature. They are destined, some may say doomed, to repeat themselves in one form or another through time. Always trying, but never quite succeeding, to reach a more favorable result."

"So basically you're saying that these events are doomed to repeat themselves until they come up with a better result then they had before?"

"Precisely. Only then does the cycle end and ones life returns to being guided by ones choices."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"You now find yourself in one such cycle. One that began here with Orion on this very mountain. Destined to correct a mistake that doomed him and generations who came after him."

"What mistake was that?"

"The Book of Origin gives little in the way of information about Orion or his life before he to this mountain and recieved the word of Origin from Indra. Not because it was unknown, but because it would cast doubt to know that at his core, he was only human. That even as an Ascended Being, as you refer to it, he was far from perfect or omnipotent. For all his wisdom, nobility and intellect, he was impulsive, judgemental and vengeful. All those traits carried on into his next manfiestation as an Ascended Being. Those negative traits, combined with some poor choices by those around him, and Orion found himself on a path that led to his destruction. One that has repeated itself several times since his death."

"Orion is dead?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Thru the machinations and manipulations of others, Orion was murdered by Scorpius, his own son."

"His son killed him?"

"Who in turn was mortally wounded as well. But not before producing Children who would create a bloodline that carried on thru the ages. Chosen to relive their ancestors fatal flaws. One such ancestor you have made a point to read up on recently."

Things began to click for Daniel in a way that sent a chill up his spine.

"Arthur. He's a descendant of Orion?"

"Yes."

"According to legeneds, he was said to have been killed by Mordred, his own son. This came as a result of a war between him and his best friend, Lancelot, over the affections of his wife Guinevere. You're telling me that Orion suffered the same fate?"

"Not in every detail but the main point of it all is very similar in nature. When he was believed dead, his wife Eos, and mother to their son, took up with his good friend, Atraeus. Even after his Ascension was revealed the affair continued. Any hope Orion brought was destroyed along with him when he allowed his flaws to take hold."

"So you're saying that its going to happen to me?"

Indra nodded, "You are destined to become a great leader, Daniel Jackson. The one to bring peace and prosperity to the galaxy. Like Orion and Arthur were before. But in order to avoid their fate, to prevent the cycle from repeating for those who come after you, it is important to do what your predecessors could not. You will come to love Vala. Like Orion did for Eos and Arthur did for Guinevere. However much like them, outside forces will work their best to turn her heart against you and to that of another."

"If I'm Arthur, Vala is Guinevere and our child --"

"Her name will be Adria."

"And _Adria_ is Mordred, then who is Lancelot?"

"The one you call Mitchell."


	45. Chapter 45

**CHAPTER 45**

All Kebechet could do was laugh.

"You do know, given what you just witnessed me do to Morgan, that the weapon you carry is u;seless. I can kill you without blinking an eye."

"Then why don't you do it already?" he said lowering his weapon and spreading his arms out to his sides in an antagonizing manner. "Put me out of my misery."

Kebechet frowned, her mockery turning to the deepest of sincerity.

"I can stand here and explain things to you ad nauseum but in reality, you would only understand a small portion of it. Even if I were to try, there is not enough time to do so. You must trust me. Trust me to know what I am doing and to trust there are things I must do or say to which you will never understand. Netan, my love, you will never bare the weight of the burden that I now carry and that I have for so long. She would never allow you to and I will not either. Now you must go back up to that ship and do as I ask of you."

Kebechet chuckled softly, sauntering over to Netan until she was just inches from his face. Caressing the side of his cheek, she pulled her face up to his ear, whispering softly.

"I am your wife, Netan. I was then. I am now. I always will be."

"If that is true. I am not sure if I can stand around to see what you will become. I don't think my heart could t --"

Before Netan could finish his words, Kebechet watched in horror as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground as if he were a puppet whose strings had been cut. The fear inside grew even deeper when she realized the rapid and irregularly thunderous beating of his heart. Kneeling at his side she felt frozen with sheer panic. That with all her power and knowledge she stood agape at what she should be doing.

"The people on the ship above us have the means to save him, that is, if you allow them to."

The quite and calm voice broke Kebechet out of her panic. She looked up in its direction and immediately seethed. For there, standing with utter compose and stalwart resolve was Shifu.

"You!!! What have you done to him?"

"I believe the words you used with Daniel were 'heavy and irreversible systemic collapse of vital cardiac functions in widespread extent.' Or something along those lines."

"Stop what you are doing!" the panic in her voice changing quickly to anger. "You are going to _kill_ him."

"I am not doing anything to him. He was ill to begin with Kebechet. Gravely so. This much you know. What is happening to him now is inevitable. And whether or not he dies, that is entirely up to you."

Kebechet rose from her feet in rage, "Stop this or so help me I -"

"You will do nothing. I am not Morgan. I am not bound by the laws of The Others. And while you may be powerful, that is true. I do not stand here this moment alone. I stand before you will the will and strength of the people of Abydos with me. A people who love and care for Daniel Jackson as I do. They are very _protective_ of him. Although small in power, they are greater in number and while not a formidable force against The Others -- they are more than enough to deal with you, should you see to make it so. I doubt, given what you have done to Morgan, The Others will see fit to prevent us from dealing with you ourselves."

Although she knew could wipe the floor with the little runt easily, she was not in a position to call his bluff. The constant sound of Netan's faltering heart fluttered in her mind.

"_What do you want_?"

"What are you doing to Daniel?"

"What I promised Father."

"Which is what exactly?"

"To resurrect him. The nanities that Father implanted inside of Daniel when he was briefly his host contain with in it a complete copy of his consciousness. They were dorment until Vala used the Ancient Communication stones. The distance between herself and Daniel generated a tremendous amount of energy, enough to awaken them. But not all of them. In order for that to occur, the energy requirement must be tremendous as well as direct."

"And you can do that here?"

"Yes. By giving him access to his genetic memories, it is as if we are flipping on a switch, each creating its own spark until finally there is enough energy to have them all up and running."

"So you have decieved Daniel."

"No. Father, for all his wisdom, was blind to the truth. Because of the hatred he had accumulated over the years did not possess the foresight that I do now. He understood that Daniel was important. He never understood exactly why. Not in the way that I do now. He was hoping to exploit Daniel. To use whatever it would turn out hew was meant to become for his own gains."

"But you see things differently?"

"Daniel is The Prophet. He is the one spoken of in The Book of Origin. He is this galaxies only hope for survival against The Ori."

"The Ori are not yet here. There is still time to prevent their arrival in this galaxy."

"Delay, yes. But they will come. That cannot be stopped. And when they come it will be swift and without mercy. They will bring salvation by the sword and those who wield those blades shall do so without question or remorse. And why? Because they bear with them the greatest weapon of all. Devotion. Unbinding and unwavering in its strength and it will only grow. There are civilizations barely hanging by threads because of the tyranny of the Goa'uld. Those who do not possess the knowledge or tools necessary to forge their own paths now that they are gone. Those ripe and waiting for a savior to come along to take their place. To make things better. For all of the Tau'ri's ability and knowledge they stand no chance against The Ori. Especially with The Orici at the helm. If we stand any chance we must even the playing field."

"Daniel."

"The Orici is part Goa'uld from Vala, part Ancient from Daniel and human from both her parents. Just add in the strength and knowledge of The Ori and you have a being whose power this galaxy has never seen."

"Oma did not believe this was a good idea. She knew it was not wise. You cannot fight evil with another evil and expect to win."

"Oma lived in fear. Fear of The Others. Fear of what she knew needed to be done. I do not possess that fear. I will see Daniel thru to his destiny."

"If you allow the box to open, you know not what you will be letting out."

Kebechet grinned, "I have already opened the box. However this time, we are letting hope out."

"We cannot do this to Daniel."

"Daniel chose this."

"You did not give him the full story."

"I gave him what he needed to know to get him where he needed to be. I did what needed to be done. And deep down, you know that I am right."

Shifu said nothing, for with all his reseverations, he did not see that they had any choice. If they stood a chance, this may be the only way.

"What would you have me do?"

"Get Netan to the ship and make sure that we are not to be disturbed until Daniel is ready."

With a small flash of light, both Shifu and Netan vanished.

"And as it was written, so shall it be," Kebechet whispered as she walked down the corridor and towards Daniel's chamber.


	46. Chapter 46

****

****

CHAPTER 46

Before Chaya could say a word, Sheppard grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the infirmary with a shocked Teyla following behind them.

"Fix him!" he barked pointing at a prone and pale Carson Beckett.

"I thought you were going to let me explain."

"I had to get you to let your gaurd down somehow to get you here. _Now fix him_!"

"I can't," Chaya replied shooting him a sympathetic look.

"Like hell you can't!"

"John!" Teyla snapped resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I am just as concerned for Carson's wellfare as you are. However, perhaps, it is wise to allow her to explain herself."

"Explain?! _What is there to explain Teyla?!_ She popped a blood vessel in Carson's brain. Intentionally. Nothing she can say will change that fact. What she needs to do now is _fix him_ and leave us the hell alone."

"As I said before John I cannot fix him. The Others will not allow me to interefere with this any longer."

"Oh, and The Others just let you pop a blood vessel in his brain? That doesn't count as interfering with lower beings?"

"Not if they are the ones who ordered me to do it."

The expression on both John and Teyla's face went from shocker to anger and finally to disbelief.

"Surely you cannot be saying that The Others wanted you to harm Carson?"

"That is exactly what I am saying, Teyla."

Sheppard stood in silence. Trying to quell the gambit of an emotional volcano that was threatening to erupt from within him. Luckily, he didn't need to speak, Teyla, sensing his inner turmoil, did the speaking for both of them.

"Why would The Others want to harm him?"

"What was done to Carson was a necessity. It was the only way we could --"

"_I could give a rats ass about your reasons_!" Sheppard seethed. "You nearly _killed_ him! And there is no _guarente_e_ that he still won't die_! He's a member of my team . . . _my friend_! You, on the other hand, mean nothing to me. From what I have learned from my time on Atlantis is that you can't trust an Ancient as far as they can throw you. Now whatever the hell you are all up to, just stop it. _Stop it_. We aren't chess pieces for you to move around anyway you see fit. We are living beings with the ability and the right to live our own lives."

"What we are doing is for the best -- "

"You have no right to decide what is and isn't for the best. You aren't gods, even though you may think you are. I may not be an Ancient, but I am also not a peon for you to step on either. Now, _The Others be damned_. Y_ou will fix him and you will get the hell out of my face_. Or so help me, if you don't and he dies, when The Ori come, I will help them lead the charge to wipe you all from existence."

"You don't mean that."

"Like hell I do."

John's tone left Chaya with the greatest offense. Walking over to Carson, she placed a hand on his forehead. A second later, she looked to John with a grave expression.

"He will not die."

"What did you do?"

"_I fixed him._"

"So he's going to be okay?"

"I didn't heal him completely, Teyla. Just made sure he wouldn't die and that he would not suffer any debilitating effects from his injuries. He has a long recovery ahead of him."

"Thank you, Chaya."

"You're welcome Teyla."

"I thought The Others wouldn't let you?"

"Maybe they were moved by your words, John. Or maybe they are saving my punishment for when I am not enamored by an audience."

"Oh, how noble of them. Go. Now."

"Sarcasm aside, I will go and don't expect my help again. But know this: You must be careful."

"And why is that?"

"A Shadow looms. Born of great evil, she brings with her no good will. She speaks in truths but they are thinly veiled with maliciousness the full extent even she is unaware of. Make no mistake of trusting her, for it will be easy to do so. A master of manipulation who believes in the lies she propagates. She is in transition. Single steps bringing her closer and closer to her ultimate goal."

"Which would be what, exactly."

"Ascension. She is nearly there. She needs only the information that Carson uncovered to complete the process."

"And that is why you attacked Carson"

"I didn't want to. I came here only to see what he knew and when I realized he had uncovered the last remaining piece Shadow would need, I had no choice but to act. That is why I attacked him. We were trying to prevent her from discovering it by any means possible. And that is why you must destroy any remaining proof that could likely fall into her hands."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you've admitted to doing?"

"Think what you will of me John, but please heed my warnings. If not for your own sake, then for everyone you care about. If she is succesful in her Ascension then you will be unleashing a great evil unto the universe. Her destiny is to lead astray all those who hear her words. None moreso than yourself, Carson and Radek."

"Why?"

Chaya smiled, "Because the three of you will find the Sangreal. Just like Galahad, Percival and Bors did before you."

Teyla noticed a change in John's demeanor. A kind of recognition, followed by stiffness he retained only when he was about to engage in battle. He often called it his game face.

"John, what is it?" she asked concerned.

Ignoring Teyla, John stepped closer to Chaya, his brow furrowed, his resolve steeled.

"This Shadow, who is she?"

"Your very own Morgan La Fey." she chimed eyeing John and then Carson menacingly before vanishing in a bright flash.


	47. Chapter 47

**CHAPTER 47**

"Mitchell?"

"Yes," Indra replied.

"And Vala?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"That's not possible. He can't tolerate her."

"Neither could you at one point, and yet, things have changed, have they not?"

Daniel knew what Indra spoke of was truth. His feelings for Vala had changed. Evolved. Into something he wasn't quite ready to admit.

"But why Mitchell? I mean its not like I would call him my best friend."

"That in time, will change as well. Think of life, Daniel, like chapters in a book. Every milestone we reach, one chapter ends. Another begins. Sometimes the chapters run in sequence. Other times, they end and a new sequence begins on the very next page. This is where you find yourself. Your death and Ascension was meant to put an end to life that you had lived up until that point. And yet, here you are. Trying desperately to hold onto a life in which you no longer hold a place. That is why every time you try to move on, you cannot. You are met with resistance. As if you are being pushed back by a tremendous wall. The more you try to push on, the more resistance you will meet, and the more damage you will cause."

"What do you mean by damage?"

"To those around you. The more you try to stay in a place you do not belong, the more you are changing the fates of those around you. Actions have consequences, Daniel. The more important a path one is to travel, the more one neglects the path, the more devestating its ripples. You have been holding on to a life and a person, who you no longer are. The more you try and neglect it, the more it will become impossible to ignore."

Daniel closed his eyes in slow fear. A creeping nausea rose within him. His head scrambling around an idea for which he did not want to believe.

"This is all my fault, isn't it?"

"It is not blame that falls on you, Daniel Jackson. Merely responsiblity. You're fight with The Ori is inevitable. What role you will ultimatel play in it remains to be seen. You likened yourself to Arthur, and whether that is truth remains to be seen. Your actions, as I mentioned before, have consequnces, and thus fate may have seen fit to make a few adjustments."

"Like what?"

"If something is meant to be, it will happen in one form or another. However, our actions steer the course of destiny and sometimes, destiny must adjust itself against its tides. In this cycle, you're supposed to be its Arthur, the descendant of Orion, The Prophet destined to unite the galaxy in peace under the blanket of True Origin. If the actions that you have taken have changed the course enough, you may take on an entirely new role in this story."

"If I'm not Arthur, who else could I be?"

Indra smiled sadly, "His father."

A bright flash took Daniel away from Indra and he found himself back in his recliner. In a mere instant he scrambled to his feet and made his way down to the corridor. He ran to the place the door had been, only to find an empty wall. He could not return. He smacked the wall in frustration before being overwhelmed by a sudden dizziness. Leaning onto the side of the wall, he walked gingerly until he found himself back into his den. Plopping down hard on his recliner, he panted heavily. His whole body felt like it was on fire, sweat fell from his brow as if he had been out in the sun for hours. He closed his eyes tightly, focusing on the song that played in the background.

As he struggle to maintain stability in his mind, his body began to suffer under the pressure. Kebechet stood silence as she watched Daniel suffer. A pang of guilt coursing thru her as she watched Daniel's heartrate jump to 135, its beats becoming erratic and irregular. He wouldn't survive for much longer. Whatever it was he was searching for he had to find it. And fast. They were running out of time. She prayed that all of this was worth it. That he would be able to succeed. Everything was hinging on it.

She watched as his heartrate jumped to 145.

Daniel's body couldn't handle the stress for much longer. If the nanites didn't do their job, he would die right in front of her.

And she could do nothing to stop it.

oooooo

Carolyn Lam sat at her desk, her mind wrapped around what seemed like a never ending sea of paperwork. She wanted desperately to put it aside and take a nap, but she knew that there had to be something she had missed. Something that could sway the tides of their situation. She just had to find it. Sighing deeply, she grabbed the empty mug that sat on her desk and walk towards the coffee pot. As she began pouring, she was startled by a loud thud that caused her to drop both her mug and the coffee pot causing a loud crash as they hit the floor. Turning swiftly in the direction of the noise she found a small Asian boy crouched over a large, more burly man in obvious physical distress.

"We need your help."


	48. Chapter 48

**CHAPTER 48**

Cameron Mitchell stood in the control room of the Al'Kesh, confusion and fear plastered across his face.

"Someone was here," Reynolds stated as he and the rest of the grunts scoped the perimeter.

"I know," Mitchell replied as the small hairs on the back of his neck stood still. "The question is, where are they now?"

"I don't know, but I'm not liking this."

"Me neither," Mitchell snapped, as he held down the button on his radio. "Carter, this is Mitchell. Come In."

"Carter, here. What's up Cam?

"Be on the look out. We're in the control room. Someone's been here. And there is no sign of where they headed. I'm going to send a few of the grunts back to cover your tail. We need you to get those rings working again."

"But Cam -"

"No, buts Sam. I've got Reynolds. I think we can handle it. What I need right now is for you and McKay to find a way to get Daniel back. Mitchell out."

Mitchell turned to face the grunts, "Brooks, listen up. I want you to take your men and help keep an eye on Colonel Carter. If anything remotely suspicious happens or you happen across anyone, you call it in. You remain defense but do not engage. Is that clear?"

Lieutenant Brooks nodded.

"Good, now go."

Reynolds watched as the grunts exited the room before turning his attention to Mitchell.

"What's going on? Why did you send all the grunts away?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but something tells me that Carter and McKay will need them more than we will."

_Boggs to Colonel Mitchell_

Mitchell hit the button on his radio, "Mitchell here."

_"Sir, you need to get back to the ship."_

"What's happened?"

_"Two figures have just matierialized in Dr. Lam's lab."_

"Is it Dr. Jackson?"

_"No, sir. It was a teenage boy and a man in his mid-30's. The man was in bad shape."_

"Bad how?"

"_Apparent heart attack."_

"Any idea where they came from?"

_"Well according to the boy, he said his name was Shifu and that you would know what that means."_

It took Mitchell a few minutes to connect the name. He knew he had heard of it before. Then it hit him. He had. In SG1's mission briefs.

"Where is the boy now?"

"I am right behind you."

Both Mitchell and Reynolds reacted, turning swiftly, with guns pointed at the tall asian boy behind them.

"Reynolds, lower your weapon," Mitchell said as he put his gun away.

"But, sir?"

"Reynolds, if this is who I think it is, these babies are useless."

Mitchell watched as a pensive Reynolds put away his gun.

"You are who I think you are, right?"

"I am."

"Why are you here?"

"I am here to help Daniel."

"Are you the one behind all of this?"

"No, but the one who is, she has nothing but evil intentions for all of us, especially Daniel."

"What do we do?"

"We save him."

With a bright flash of light, both Mitchell and Shifu disappeared.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

Daniel Jackson opened his eyes.

He found himself leaning up against a wall in the long hallway. The pain that had radiated through his body seemed to vanish, settling to be a dull ache in his shoulders. Picking himself up, he look directly down the long hall. Several of the doors that had existed there only moments before had vanished. Leaving a blank white wall in its place. Whatever it was Daniel was supposed to learn from all of this, was slipping away from him.

He had to act fast.

Walking a few steps down, he once again found himself in front of a wooden door. He took a look at the Ancient text scrawled upon it. Translating it over and over again in his mind, ensuring that he was reading it correctly: Culum quod fieri electiones. _The moment in which choices are made_. Sighing deeply, he turned the door knob.

And found himself unprepared for what greeted him on the other side.

oooooo

John Sheppard sat at the head of the briefing room table, allowing the others around him to take in what he had just told them.

"Well?" he asked pensively after a few moments.

"John, with all do respect," Weir stated in a matter-of-fact, yet sympathetic tone of voice. "Its a bit far fetched, don't you think?"

"Far fetched? It makes perfect sense."

"John, you just told us that we're all reliving Arthurian legend. Its a bit ridiculous."

"Hey, your just mad because Chaya called you Bors, Radek."

"And as you can clearly see I am neither misogynistic nor a virgin, so one could see how I would cast doubt on your theories."

"Bors was only a brute in the White version of the Arthur legends."

"You mean the other versions where he's a traitor. Or how about the violent brute with many children."

"That movie was no where near as historically accurate as it claimed - "

"Enough!"

Everyone turned their attentions to Teyla, who as usual had been particularly silent through their exchange.

"I was with John when Chaya spoke these things. And after learning more about these legends from John, it makes sense given what has already happened."

"But why? Why would anyone want to relive the Arthurian legend. We all know how it ended.

"That's the whole point, Elizabeth" John stated as he got up from his seat and began pacing around. "Arthur was the chosen one. He was supposed to be this magnificent and untouchable ruler who brought peace and prosperity to everything. But thanks to manipulations of his enemies, it all fell apart before it could get off the ground."

"And now you think the Ancients are trying to relive those moments with Daniel Jackson?"

"It makes sense Elizabeth. From what we've learned so far, Merlin was an ascended Ancient who led Arthur to ascend, much like Oma led Daniel."

"And this Shadow, that Chaya spoke of, is Morgan La Fey, the one who was instrumental in Arthur's downfall."

"And will be instrumental in Daniel's if we don't stop her."

"How?"

"Chaya said that Carson, Radek and I were supposed to find the Sangreal. The Holy Grail. Chaya made it seem like we could somehow use the Grail to stop Shadow. So I am thinking it may be some kind of Ancient mechanized weapon."

"Did she say where you were supposed to find the Grail?"

"She vanished before I could ask but I have a feeling she may have already told us."

"How so?"

"She said that Shadow wanted to Ascend and that all she needed was the information that Carson uncovered, which is why she debilitated him. However I have the sneaky feeling there is more to it than that. I think Chaya was trying to protect him. Protect the three of us. She said that if Shadow were to Ascend that the three of us would be one of her first targets."

"Because you would lead her to the Grail."

"Yeah, but we don't know anything about the Grail."

"Maybe not consciously Radek, but I think we do?"

"How?"

"If I am right we three are more than just selected for this. There is a reason for it. What if we are somehow genetically descended fromthe people we were chosen to portray."

"So you're saying that I am genetically related to Bors. Carson is genetically related to Percival. And you are genetically related to Galahad."

"Yes."

"And what does that have anything to do with us knowing where to find the Grail."

"Because, Radek, if we are genetically related to them, that means we also carry their genetic memories."

"And if we have their genetic memories, then we can access their knowledge of the Grail quest."

"Exactly."

"The question remains, John," Elizabeth asked "If you do possess their genetic memories, how would you even be able to access them?"

oooooo

Rematierialization happened instantaneously. Cameron Mitchell took a few minutes to adjust to his new surroundings before he took the time to speak.

"Where are we?"

"We are on the planet below the ship."

"Is Daniel here?"

"Yes?"

"Where is he?"

Shifu pointed down a long corridor. Before the boy could say anything more, Mitchell went running. He had made it halfway down the hall when he faltered upon finding the charred remains of a woman. Shifu matierialized next to him.

"Who is that?"

"That was one of ours. She tried to save Daniel. This is what happened to her."

"What are we dealing with?"

"A demon. In the most literal of senses. She was human once. A beautiful soul. She was tortured by the Goa'uld. Her soul became damaged. So dangerous and insane was she, that the System Lords ordered her locked away. And there she stood, until her husband found her."

"The man you took to the ship?"

Shifu nodded, "His name is Netan. He is a good man, who has made bad choices. He thought that his wife was killed by the Goa'uld. But when he learned of her real fate he went looking for her, and found her he did. Unaware of her great evil, he went with her willingly. But deep down, he knows she truly dangerous."

"How did he have a heart attack?"

"The stress of his situation took its toll. His mother died of a heart ailment in which he has inherited. In his world there is no cure for such an ailment. But there is one in yours. Its why I brought him to you. He will be a tremendous ally in the months ahead. You will need him if you are to succeed."

"And his wife?"

"Her host is named Aleajandra. The Goa'uld was the daughter of Anubis."

"_Was _Anubis' daughter?"

"The torture she endured under the Goa'uld made her mentally fragile. She went insane. The only thing that kept her lucid was the Goa'uld inside of her, Kebechet. Ultimately, however, it had no strength left to endure the torture and it died. Having been locked away with nothing but the thoughts of a two distinct being inside of her caused her mind split. She ended up developing two distinct personalities. One is Aja, her original personality, the other is of Kebechet, the now deceased Goa'uld. At this moment, Aja is to fragile to emerge, so Kebechet has taken over."

"So she thinks she's a Goa'uld."

"Its more than just think. Because Kebechet died inside of her, she has all the powers of a Goa'uld and then some, which makes her very dangerous."

"_And then some_?"

"She is more than just a human, Cameron Mitchell, she is a Hok'tar. Half-human, half-Goa'uld. And with every minute that passes her power grows. Her ultimate goal is to reach Ascension. The secret of which she is trying to extract from Daniel as we speak. Is she Ascendeds, there will be no stopping her, and The Ori, will be the least of our worries."


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

"How did she end up being half-human/half-Goa'uld?"

"Are you aware of Cassandra Fraiser?"

"Yeah, she's Janet's daughter."

"And the one called Jonas Quinn?"

"Yeah, he took Daniel's spot on SG1 while he was Ascended."

"What do they have in common?"

It was like a light went off in Mitchell's head.

"They were both experimented on by Nirrti. She wanted to create a Hok'tar. She targeted them because the planets they originated from were genetically superior. Is she responsible for this?"

"Nirrti was not alone. She, and another Goa'uld were once under the employ of Anubis. It was his goal to create a Hok'tar. He captured and tortured humans until he found twelve subjects that were able to wistand his experiments. However, none were genetically stable enough to be successful. So he divided these twelve amongst two planets where they were unable to breed with each other. Each generation becoming more strong and able to wistand the treatments. After Anubis' death, two of the planets were split amongst his two assistants. Nirrti, who took Hanka, and Langara, which went to Qetesh."

"Qetesh? As in the Goa'uld who possesed Vala."

"Yes. Qetesh was also Anubis' wife and mother of Kebechet. She was more determined than ever to make his experiment succeed. Unbenknownst to Nirrti, Langara was just a cover for her other experiment. Qetesh moved a few of the test subjects to an isolate planet. Prevent any contact from the outside world so that there would be no new genetic matierial introduced into the mix. Over several generations, there wasn't a person born on this planet that did not contain the genetic matierial necessary to create a Hok'tar. Eventually thru experimentation she was able to create a single family whose genetic matierial was far more superior than any other. And within it she found a subject more powerful than any others."

"Aja."

"Before she could turn Aja into a Hok'tar, Qetesh learned that Nirrti had discovered her experiments and sent her underling, Ba'al to destroy the planet and capture its people. Not wanting Aja to fall into the wrong hands, Qetesh took Aja's sister as her host and convinced her to accompany her off the planet."

"Aja is Vala's sister?"

"Yes?"

Dots began to connect for Mitchell in a way they never had before. Things started to make sense on a more cosmic scale. Nothing was random. The idea of fate no longer just an idea. He was starting to figure out where the story was going, but in his mind, refused to allow himself to think of such things. He knew, however, as much as he wanted to hide from all of this, he wouldn't be able. He looked at Shifu, now, with a bit more understanding and simply replied:

"Continue."

oooooo

Vala Mal Doran lay in bed heart sick. Literally.

It seemed her little stunt with Tomin earlier had come back to bite in the ass. Not too longer after being returned to the ship she had been struck with an aching feeling in her chest. Her heartbeat began to quicken. She wrote it off as nothing more than her despair over her situation. She tried to put it out of her mind, as she tried to hide her mind from the growing menace she carried inside of her.

But it did little good.

The pain would only increase. Her heartbeat pounding harder and faster.

Something was wrong.

She tried to tell Tomin. Tried to tell the Priors. But all her pleas had gone on deaf ears. She had then been reminded of that story Daniel had told her of the Boy who Cried Wolf. She could feel the Orici trying to invade her mind, gain control over her body in her moments of distress. She resisted. As much pain and suffering she was in, she was going to let that little bitch anywhere near her mind.

That all changed about an hour ago. She had awoken from a nap feeling out of sorts. She sat up only to be overwhelmed by a sudden dizziness. Leaning onto the side of the wall, she walked gingerly until her found herself up against the door to her room. She pounded hard against it in the hopes of gaining the guards attention. The effort proved fruitless and left her panting heavily. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, sweat fell from her brow as if she had been out in the sun for hours. She closed his eyes tightly, focusing on the deepest corners of her mind. She was in trouble. If anything was going to get her attention, it would be this. Breaking down the barriers she had put up so cautiously, she felt the coldm familliar mind sleep into her own.

"Guard!" the tonal voice of the Orici screamed. The door slid open immediately, causing her to fall into the arms of the bewildered guard.

"Send for the Healer. Now!"

The guard had barked orders to another set of guards as Vala lost consciousness. She barely remembered being lifted up and taken back to bed. She had been in an out of consciousness during the Healer's exam. Unable to remember everything that had been done to her. Unsure of what medicine or medical procedures were available to a culture in which every illness was fought with prayer and the hopes of survival. When she awoke the Doci and the Healer stood at her bedside, regaling her with news she had already long suspected.

It was her heart.

They weren't sure what exactly was wrong. The why's and the how's seemed to be above their ability to understand. All that they knew was that her heart seemed to be failing. Vala could see the look of pity in the eyes of both men as they told her what she already knew. She also knew what they weren't saying. That they were going to wait for her to naturally give birth to The Orici. And since she doubted they possessed the ability to surgically remove the child, it meant they would induce her labor. And she had known from her mother's experiences that often women with weak hearts who went into labor did not survive. They were essentially sealing her fate.

What Vala couldn't understand. What was nagging at her from the back of her mind was how she became so sick to begin with? Had she been poisoned? Did she contract an illness while she was out in the woods? Was she being punished for pretending to be ill to begin with?

_It's because of Daniel._

The voice had been so faint at the back of her thoughts, she tried to write it off. Tried to ignore it, but ultimately, curiousity won out.

"What are you talking about?"

_Your mind is still connected with Daniel's. Like it was with the bracelets. Whatever happens to one of you, happens to both._

"So you're telling me is that the reason I am having problems with my heart is because he is having problems with his?"

_Yes. Something is wrong. Daniel heart is under a tremendous amount of stress. Its starting to fail. And because you are still connected in your minds, your heart is failing too._

"How do we stop it?"

_We can't._

"Daniel is dying, we have to save him."

_I'm sorry Mother, but I can't risk it. I have to survive._

"Now listen hear, you selfish, self-righeous little - "

Before Vala could finish she felt a sudden tug, followed by a warming sensation that stopped her mid-sentence. Her mind knew what had happened, but she peaked beneath the covers regardless. Her water had broke.

"Why?" she screamed as the first pains of labor crept up on her.

_Like I had told you Mother, you will have to choose between us. I wanted to even the odds._

"You little bi-" Vala yelled, as her words got cut off by the pains of labor.

"Vala?" came a familliar yell from across the room.

Vala looked up at the door to the closet in disbelief. There. Standing amongst the many dresses, was the one thing she needed desperately to see.

"Daniel."


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

"Daniel, what? How?" Vala asked as Daniel practically ran from the closet to her bedside.

"Vala, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm in labor," she said practically in tears. "And I don't know what to do."

"It'll be okay," he said trying not to panic. "I'm here. I'll help you."

"You shouldn't be here," Vala cried as she was hit wit another labor pain.

"Breathe, Vala. Just breathe through it."

Vala did as Daniel asked.

Within moments the contraction had ceased and Vala turned her attention back to Daniel.

"You shouldn't be here," she cried.

"You think I'm going to miss the birth of my own child?" he said wiping away Vala's tears from her face.

"How do you know?" she asked in astonishment.

"How I found out doesn't matter. All that matters is that I know. And that I am here."

"Daniel, its awful. She's a monster. She's totally under their control. I tried to escape. I tried. But she stopped me."

"Its okay, Vala. We can change her. She's just a child. She doesn't have to be their puppet."

"But she wants to be, Daniel, she wants to k -" another contraction stopped Vala short.

Daniel helped her through her breathing.

"You're not really here, are you?" she said when the pain subsided, agony in her voice. "You're just my imagination."

"I'm here, Vala. Maybe not physically, but I am here with you, just as you were with me when you first made contact. I'm trying to get to you. I'm trying -"

"You're dying," Vala interrupted. "I know you're dying. I know your hearts failing."

Daniel's mind went back to what Kebechet had told him before he went into the chair.

"It doesn't matter."

Of course it matters, Daniel. You can't die."

"Vala, my heart may be failing but that doesn't mean I'll die. I'm doing something that is going to help me get to you. To stop The Ori. Whatever is happening to me, I will be fine. I won't die."

"You might not, but I will."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're still connected Daniel. Like the bracelets. Whatever happens to you, happens to me. Whatever you are doing right now, it reconnected that bond. So while you might have something that will save you from dying, I don't have that luxury."

"Vala, what are you saying?"

Vala took Daniel's hand and placed it on her chest, right above her heart. Daniel could feel the same irregular pounding, the same rapid-fire beating, the same rhythmic lurching - that he could feel coming from his own heart. The machine reconnected their bond, which meant whatever physically happened to him, happened to her. And while he had safety nets like the Odyssey and Lam waiting for him if something were to go wrong, there was nothing for her.

"Oh, my god! I'm killing you!" Daniel cried as the tears fell freely down his cheeks.

"You need to go, Daniel," Vala said as her attentions were finally drawn to the chamber doors. "They're coming."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Tomin is coming with the Doci and the Healer. They have heard my screams. You need to go before they realize you are hear."

"They can't see me."

"It doesn't matter. I don't want you to be here. I don't want you to see me - "

"Die? I'm not going to just abandon you. And I am sure as hell not going to let you die."

"Daniel, my mother was a midwife. I know given my present condition, I'm not going to survive."

"Don't say that. Don't ever -"

"Promise me," Vala said taking Daniel's head in her hands, her eyes welling with tears. "Promise me that you will save the child."

Daniel's mind was reeling, harkening back to a similar promise he had made to Sha're when she had given birth to Shifu. The pain and agony flowing from his words.

"I promise to save you both. That is the only promise I plan to make."

Vala was hit with another contraction. Gauging from the timing, she was going to give birth soon.

"Daniel, I'm so tired."

"I know you are, I know. But you just have to keep going, okay. For the baby. For me."

"Whatever happens," Vala said, the panic rising in her voice. "Whatever happens, promise me, that you will get her away from The Ori. Daniel, please. Promise."

"Vala, I promise."

"Now, go Daniel. They're here."

"Vala, I don't -"

"GO!"

A bright light engulfed the room and Daniel found himself back in his happy place.

"Vala?" he cried as he started up in a panic, the pain in his chest growing more and more intense as he made his way down the hallway.

The doorway to Vala was gone. An overwhelming sense of pain enveloped Daniel. He couldn't let her die. He wouldn't let her die. Despite the agony overwhelming his body, he found an inner strength and resolve to move forward. He walked straight past all of the remaining doors until he reached two doors at the end of the hallway. One was a decaying, rotten wooden door and right next to it stood a pristene mahogany door.

He knew that whatever the point of this whole journey was, it was to reach one of these two places. If he had the time he would explore the other doors, learn more about what they contained and made a more informative decision. He didn't have time for that. He need to save Vala. He didn't have the time to waste.

He looked at the mahogany door and read its inscription carefully: In qua luce amplectamur. _That in which we embrace light._ He took several minutes reading it over in his mind before turning to the decaying, rotten door and turning its handle. As he walked inside, it shut behind him. Back in the hallway, Indra stood, shaking and hanging his head in sorrow. His eyes never wandering from the inscription written upon the rooting door.

In qua amplectimur tenebris. _That in which we embrace darkness._

"And as it is written," Indra remarked as he stared at the rotten door. "So shall it come to pass."


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

Daniel found himself standing in the gateroom at the SGC.

But it wasn't the SGC - or at least it didn't seem like it.

Looking around, he realized that he was definately in Cheyenne Mountain, but things seemed different. Cleaner. And new. The room had been rebuilt into a plethora of steel and white. Everything seemed almost sterile in a way. Even the Stargate itself had changed, resembling more the gate on Atlantis than the one he had come to know. If it weren't for the outline of the room, which had change very little from his memories, he could have sworn he was somewhere completely different.

Curious he stepped out of the gateroom and into a nearby hallway. It was here that the changes became even more evident. Gone were the militaristic stylings and pipings of his SGC. Gone were the color coded lines that mapped the floor and led you to a particular destination. In its place were pristine white walls and marble flooring. Taking a moment to contimplate what he saw, he stepped back into the gateroom. Then he stepped back into the hallway.

It was like stepping into a different world.

He wasn't sure where he was or what was happening, but curiousity caused him to make his way down the hall. The sterility he felt in the gateroom was only amplified as he walked down the long, narrow white corridors. As he peered at his surroundings, he was struck by the occasional piece of artwork or sculpture. It reminded Daniel alot of the museums. The further he walked down the halls, the more frequent the artwork became and it became very clear to Daniel that it was far from ordinary. He noticed several pieces not only from foreign countries, but from different cultures on other worlds. He counted at least a dozen, many of which were from his private stores of artifacts from Abydos, Chulak and Kheb. When he finally reached the end of the hallway, it opened up into a grand foyer.

He stood in rapture. Marveled by the absolute simplistic beauty of the structure. There were several levels, all domained within consentric circles at least ten feet high and a football field in length. Connecting each circle to one another was a spiraled staircase that all lead to an ornate glass and marble double staircase at the center of the foyer. It was a artitectual dream. Cautiously he walked into the empty foyer. About halfway thru he stopped dead. A great burst of light, from the stained glass skylight above him barreled down upon him revealing a curious sight. There, etched into the marble floors was a large carving of a Stargate. Along with the symbols found on the gate there were three letters I.S.A. and a phrase, definately Ancient in origin, running along its inner ring.

_Lux e tenebris est et in ipsa scientia._

"Out of darkness comes the light and with it knowledge." Daniel said underbreath as he bent down to further exam the etchings.

It took him a moment to figure out what he was looking at. It was more than an etching. It was an insignia. Not unlike the ones that could be found on the uniforms of the personnel at the SGC.

"What the hell is this place?"

"A different place in time," said a gentle but familliar voice from behind.

Daniel turned, and his face light up. A smile burst on that stretched from ear to ear.

"Shifu. Its good to see you," Daniel replied as he crossed the short distance between them to embrace the boy.

"And I you. I only wished that our reunion was under better circumstances."

"You know about what's been happening," Daniel said in a serious matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes," Shifu said pointedly. "And I have come here to stop you from doing it."

"What?" Daniel asked astonished. "Why?"

"Genetic memory does not just give one a glimpse into the past, but into the possible future as well."

"Is that where we are?"

"Yes. This time. This place. This is where humanity is destined. Like the Ancients before them they will pioneer an intergalactic aliiance who thru exchange of culture and knowledge will propel them into their next step of evolution."

"But what does any of this have to do with stopping the Ori and saving Vala and my daughter?"

"You cannot achieve it all. And deep down you know that to be true. Out of the three goals you have set for yourself only one is possible. And what you choose will determine whether or not humanity will reach this destination."

"But why me? Why does all of this fall on me?"

"Great men do not ask for greatness they are blessed by it. You may not want this responsiblity but by paths chosen by you and those before you, the decision has fallen to you. Instead of contemplating what was, you must focus on what is and what will be. The Ori will come. They were always meant to. Any attempts at thwarting them will only delay the inevitable and no amount of time will ever make you ready for them. And your daughter? She is no more your daughter than she is a child. Her body may be human in construct but there is no soul. No life beyond what the Ori has given to her."

A horrible thought crossed thru Daniel's mind at Shifu's words, "What are you saying?"

Shifu stood in momentary silence. Trying to put together his words carefully. He knew this would be hard for Daniel to hear and given his current state, he was unsure of how he would handle it. He put a comforting hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"The human child that was concieved between you and Vala that night died long ago, Daniel. What resides inside of Vala's body is nothing more than a shell. A host. And the Orici is the parasite that killed her. Human souls are special, Daniel. Unique. Present from the moment of conception. But the moment that her body was invaded by the Orici, she was a goner. The power and evil energy of the Ori ripped at and rotted her soul until it was gone. Taking away everything that she was or could have been."

"No!" Daniel shouted as he broke away from Shifu's grasp. "You're lying to me. Why are you lying!"

Daniel grimaced as a pain shot up thru his arms and into his chest, causing him to stumble.

"I am not lying to you, Daniel. It is the truth."

"No, its not," Daniel replied defeatedly, gasping in pain. A firm hand pressed against his heart.

Shifu placed his hand against the side of Daniel's face.

"I wish it were not true. You are the closest thing to a father that I have ever had. The last thing I want to see is you suffering. But knowing the truth will only make your decision that much easier."

Daniel's breath turned ragged. This is what Kebechet warned him about.

"Which would be what, exactly?"

"Love, Daniel. That was the whole point of this quest. Before The Ori, before the child, it was about saving the woman you love. Its all its ever been. This future. This place. It built on love. Built by the two of you. Forget about destiny. Forget about fate. Embrace love, and it will lead you to where you need to be."

"That's all well and good but considering that both Vala and I are currently in the throws of a massive heart attack, I don't see how that can be possible."

"Have faith Daniel Jackson. Like the Earth saying goes, 'Love conquers all."

Daniel smiled softly before the darkness enveloped him.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

"What is wrong with her?" Tomin asked shakily from the doorway.

The Doci turned to Tomin, a disturbing sense of reverence across his face.

"She is bringing the Orici into the world."

"Why does she look so ill?"

"From what the Healer had said, its her heart. The strain of the pregnancy has taken its toll."

"What do you mean?"

"She is not expected to survive the birth. Her heart could give out at any time."

Tomin watched as the Doci exited, leaving he and Vala alone in the room. She was pale. Gasping for breath thru the pangs of labor, her hand pressed firmly on her chest. A wave of guilt swept thru him. He had been wrong in the way he had treated her. Wrong in his sense of betrayl for a situation for which neither of them had any control. Despite all that had happened between them, Vala was his wife. It was his duty to protect her. Just as much as it was his duty to obey the will of the Ori. Momentarily frozen by his conflicted nature, Tomin took merely seconds to act. Taking to Vala's bedside, he bent down and gingerly scooped Vala into his arms. She gave a small cry of pain.

"What are you doing?"

"I am sorry, Vala. I never should have brought you back here. I let my jealousy get the better of me. I failed you as a husband."

"Now isn't the time to reminisce."

"I cannot leave you to die."

"I'm having a child, my heart feels like it could burst at any second and lets see, this place is swarming with guards. While I appreciate the gesture, I doubt it will be effective. Please put me down."

Tomin did as Vala asked.

"How can I help you?"

Vala smiled sadly, "Its too late for me. But not for this baby. I refuse to let the Ori have her. I want you to promise me you will protect her when I'm gone. Raise her and love her like your own. Give to her that gentle sweet nature of the man you were when we met. Don't let her become a monster. Promise me."

Tomin took Vala's hand and gave it a soft squeeze, "I promise."

A powerful contraction hit Vala like a ton of bricks.

"Its time," she cried as she motioned for Tomin to head towards the foot of the bed.

"Shall I send for the Healers?"

"No, please, just help me."

Tomin nodded as he practically ran towards the foot of the bed and peeked up underneath her dress.

"I can see her head, Vala."

"Good," Vala gasped. "All I need you to do is help guide her out. I'm starting to lose strength. I am going to give one long, hard push and I want you to gently guide her out. Understand?"

Tomin nodded.

Despite being physically spent, Vala knew what she had to do. Had been with her mother long enough to know that it was going to take everything she had to bring the child into the world. Working past the pain that riddled every part of her body, Vala gave one, long agonizing push. A small but famillar cry of a child followed just moments later.

"You did it, Vala," Tomin cried as tears fell down his face.

"I did it," she replied astonished and breathless.

Gently wrapping the child in a nearby blanket, Tomin picked her up for Vala to see.

"She is beautiful, Vala."

"That she is. She's -"

Vala's words were cut off by an astonished gasp, as her weary hand flew directly to her chest. Another short gasp followed before Vala fell back onto the bed, her eyes open but motionless.

"Vala?" Tom cried as he gently placed the baby by the foot of the bed and ran to Vala's side. He shook her gently but she did not move. Fear crept up his spine as he closed his eyes and placed his ear against her chest. Silent tears rolled down his face.

Her heart was no longer beating.

Overcome with undeniable sadness he began to weep. His sobs, however, were soon broken by the cries of the child. Keeping to what Vala had asked him, Tomin knew enough about babies to cut the umblical cord and scoop the child up in his arms, giving her a gentle soothing rock.

"Shh, do not cry little one. Do not cry."

He repeated his mantra several times until the child quieted. Taking a look at the child, and taking a look at his deceased wife, he was overcome with a new resolve.

"My loyalty has always been to the Ori. But, thanks to your mother, I know of another kind of loyalty. Love. She loved you. She wanted what was best for you. And I shall see that you get it. I am going to take you from here. I doubt the Doci knows you have been born. But you must be quiet. Can you be quiet for me?"

Taking a quick look around the room, Tomin noticed a small basket of used linens at the other end.

"That is perfect," he whispered as he placed the child on the bed and grabbed the basket. Gently placing her inside he covered her up enough to conceal her prescence but still allow her to breathe.

"Now be quiet for me little one," Tomin whispered as he walked out into the hallway. He was grateful that the guards normally posted oustide the door were on the other end of the hallway. Slowly without trying to raise suspicions he took off down the other end of the hall.

ooooo

Cameron Mitchell ran down the icy and dark corridor. When Shifu had mysteriously vanished mid-conversation, he knew something was terribly wrong. He had been down several corridors in an effort to find Daniel, but nothing proved useful. Rounding the corridor of the last visable hallway, Mitchell saw a large ornate door with the sound of a human heartbeat penetrating it. Going into stealth mode he busted thru the door to find Daniel hooked up to an Ancient device, and a strange woman standing over him.

"Get away from him!" Mitchell shouted realizing the heart beating was Daniel's.

"I can't let you stop me. This has to happen."

"Like hell it does," he breathed as he discharged his weapon.

Kebechet reached to deflect the bullets. The first few she did with ease. A triumphant smile grew across her face.

"Your bullets cannot harm me."

"I would be so sure," Shifu said coming up from behind.

Using all nothing but his hands and human strength, he grabbed Kebechet firmly by the arms.

"Is that all your going to do, little boy? Arm wrestle?"

"That's all I need to do."

A sudden realization came upon Kebechet as she turned her attentions back to Mitchell. But it was too late. Mitchell had fired off another round, and with all of her attention on Shifu, she could not deflect it in time. It pierced her body, striking her in the chest, sending her crumbling to the ground. She wasn't dead, but she was in no condition to stand in their way.

"You forget," Shifu said as he bent down beside her. "You may be all powerful, but you are not invulnerable."

Mitchell immediately ran to Daniel's side, trying his best to remove him from the machine, but afraid that doing so would hurt him even more.

"Can you get him out of here?" Mitchell asked as he turned in Shifu's direction.

All Shifu did was smile as the four of them dematierialized from the chamber.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

For Cameron Mitchell the last few hours seemed like nothing more than a blur. Having been zapped back onto the Odyssey by Shifu his focus had been to get Daniel the medical attention he needed. Although his heart did stop almost immediately after coming aboard, Lam had gotten it beating again.

But things weren't looking too good. There had been extensive damage to the muscle of his heart. They wouldn't know his exact prognosis until they reached Atlantis which should be within the next thirty minutes or so. Despite his reservations about leaving the planet behind (he had this nagging feeling it was important somehow) the life of his friends and of his own planet stood were in grave jeopardy.

While he had taken up vigil at Daniel's side, Mitchell also took comfort, however, in knowing that at least Sam and Rodney were working on saving Earth. Ever since learning of Daniel's condition, Sam had been reluctant to be anywhere else. Her focus was on her friend. When it became apparent that nothing more could be done for Daniel until they arrived at Atlantis, he recalled the team up from the planet and set course. Despite Sam's immediate and vocal protests, he knew that stopping an Ori invasion was one of the reasons they had come out so far. One of the things Daniel had been determined to accomplish. After much encouragement, Sam decided to see her friends wish thru.

Which only left rescuing Vala. He knew in the condition that he was currently in, their original plan was out the window. However, he couldn't bring himself to scrap it all together. Daniel had worked so hard, was so determined to save her, he had no choice but to find another way. Although the archaeologist had yet to regain consciousness, he knew his reasons for being on that planet had everything to do with Vala. If only he knew exactly what that was.

Shifu had vanished upon returning them to the Odyssey and with Daniel out of comission that only left Kebechet. Although his inital beliefs were that he had merely grazed her, the internal damage caused by the bullet was extremely severe. It was highly doubtful she would be alive for much longer. He could've cared less. He had questions that needed to be answered and he was tired of getting the run around. He was going to get the truth from her, and he didn't care how he did it.

oooo

It had taken the better part of an hour for the guards to make it back to Vala's room. The sight of the recently deceased Ms. Mal Doran and the abscence of the Orici left them in a frenzy. After searching for almost another hour they alerted The Doci, who barrelled down to her chambers, Healer in tow. It took only a few seconds after their arrival for the Healer to confirm that she had given birth and passed not too long after.

"What shall we do now?" the Healer asked with muffled concern.

"What I never wanted to do in the first place," The Doci replied irritated as he took a seat by Vala's side, placing a hand on her chest.

Within seconds a soft yellow glow flowed from his hand encapsulating the whole of Vala's fallen form. The sound of a faint heartbeat was heard for a few seconds and then disappeared. It happened several times, each time the sound lasting just a bit longer than the last. The Doci pulled all of his strength, his will and the power bestowed on him by The Ori and concentrated on restarting Vala's heart. Finally after several hours, The Doci ceased, looking at the Healer weakened and defeated.

"It is of no use. Her heart has been still for too long. I cannot restore it to life."

"You are greatly weakened, Doci," the Healer said as he helped the wobbly Doci to his feet. "You must rest."

"Yes, I must."

The Healer stole a look back to Vala, "What do we do about her? She was the only one who knew what happened to the Orici."

The Doci shook his head, "She was not alone. I left her with Tomin. He seemed too concerned for her well being. It is possible she convinced him to take the baby away. Find him. We will find the Orici."

"And Vala?"

"We will turn her into a martyr. Her death to bring the Orici into the world has made her a saint for our cause. She will be loved. Worshiped. Adored by all our people. She will be the single force to unite them all under our banner."

"And what of her body?"

"The invasion of the Ancients universe must proceed. We do not have time for burial services. However, I do not want to take the chance that the Ancients may ascend her upon our arrival."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to cut out her heart and bring it to me. As long as I possess it, she cannot ascend. Then dispose of the corpse."

"As you wish Doci," the Healer complied as he helped the Doci out the door and down the hallway.

The Healer returned not too long after. Having settled the Doci in for a restful and rejuvinated sleep. He look to Vala, who seemed ever more beautiful than the last time he saw her. It was a shame that it had all ended this way. But it was the will of The Ori. She had completed her destiny and brought the Orici into the world. He bent down beside her. Determined to give her funeral rites despite The Doci's refusual to do so in a proper fashion.

He grabbed her by the hand, and was struck that after being dead for several hours, she was still warm to the touch. He caressed her face and was suprised at the color in her cheeks and the heat that penetrated from her forhead. His mind began to race. Carefully he knealt down beside Vala and place his ear against her chest. Closing his eyes tightly, he held his breath and listened.

It took only a few seconds before he heard it: a thump. And then another. And another.

They were faint and her heart was definately struggling, but it was definately beating. Reaching into his bag he pulled out a vial of putrid green liquid. It was a substance of his own making. One that he had stumbled upon while mixing herbs to heal fevers. He hadn't tested it on anyone but himself, but if it had the same effect on him, then it should on Vala. He lifted her head and gently poured the liquid into her mouth. The Healer laid her head softly back on the pillow before he placed as listening ear to her chest.

The reaction was nearly instantaneous. Vala's heart had jumped from a faint thump to a roaring gallop. He sat back and watched in ernest as her eyes flew open and she gasped for breath and thrashing about the bed in confusion.

"Calm down, Vala. Lest you alert the guards."

After several seconds Vala seemed to get her bearings back. Her breathing steadied but her heart still raced in her chest.

"My chest hurts."

"That's to be expected."

"My heart feels like its trying to escape my chest."

"Also to be expected. Worry not. Your heart will also calm down tremendously with time."

"What happened?" Vala asked as she rubbed her hand across her horribly aching chest.

"You died."


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

John Sheppard sat in the briefing room, staring out at the gateroom. Elizabeth Weir could see he was lost in thought. As well as deeply troubled. Not something you would usually see or not something he would let you see.

"You know, you don't have to stand in the doorway, Elizabeth."

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt."

"What's there to interrupt," he asked with a playful grin as quickly changed the subject. "So how much longer til the Odyssey arrives?"

"Under a half an hour."

"How's Dr. Jackson?"

"He's stable. Thankfully. However, they have at least two additional wounded, one of whom is recovering from open heart surgery. I have a team standing by in the infirmary to take care of them upon their arrival."

"Anybody we know?"

"No. Two people that the Odyssey encountered on the planet. A man, about your age suffering from an untreated Atrial Septal Defect. At first they thought it might have been some kind of heart attack but after further testing they determined it was an unstable arrhythmia. They've managed to stabilize his arrhythmia enough to perform the surgery to repair the defect. Dr. Lam says barring any complications, he should make a full recovery."

"And the other one?"

"Not expected to survive. According to Lam she took a gunshot wound to the chest. They thought it was superficial but there was extensive internal damage."

A lightbulb went off in John's mind, "She? Who is she? How did she get shot?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth replied slightly taken aback. "Dr. Lam wasn't too specific about what happened. Only that they would explain it all when they arrived."

"Elizabeth, we can't let her on Atlantis."

"Why?"

"Its what Chaya warned us about Elizabeth. This girl. She's Shadow."

"Don't jump to conclusions, John, for all we know she is an innocent caught up in the crossfire."

"I'm not jumping to conclusions. Chaya said she was almost here. And that she would be coming to Atlantis to Ascend. In order to Ascend, you have to die. And the girl is dying Elizabeth. Of a thought to be superficial gunshot wound. If we let her on board, she will cause nothing but trouble."

"What are we supposed to do, John? Tell them to turn around?"

"Yes."

"John!" Elizabeth cried astonishedly. "We have two people in desperate need of medical attention. I just can't tell them to stay where they are because of something you can't even prove is true."

"Elizabeth, you have to trust me when I tell you that my instincts are right on this one. When have my instincts, in times of peril, ever been wrong."

"Do you really want me to answer that one?"

John shook his head, "Elizabeth, please. Just trust me on this."

"Don't turn this into a trust issue. Now, you were spooked before we even had this conversation, I could see it on your face. Now what really has you so rattled?"

John looked to Elizabeth with utter seriousness. It scared the living crap out of her.

"Because if I'm right about the whole Arthur thing, and I am more convinced now than ever that I am. That means that I am Galahad. Do you know what happens to Galahad?"

"He finds the Holy Grail."

"And dies not too long after. Which means if this thing is starting to go down just like Chaya said it would. we're all as good as dead."

ooooo

_"I what?"_

"Now calm down, Vala, the last thing we want is to alert the guards or The Doci that you're still alive."

Vala tried not to panic, her mind sweeping back and forth as the memories began flooding back to her.

"The baby! Where's my baby? What have you done with her!"

The Healer grabbed Vala by the arms as she tried, in vain, to beat the living crap out of him.

"Remain calm. You're still very weak. We don't want to cause a set back."

Vala calmed down, a rage now overcoming her, "Where is my child?"

"We don't know."

_"What do you mean you don't know?"_

"When we found you, you had been long dead and the child was gone. What is the last thing you remember?"

"I remember feeling awful. I was in labor. Tomin was here."

"We believe that your heart gave out during labor and that Tomin, believing you to be dead, took the child in order to protect her."

"I asked him to. I asked him to keep her from The Ori."

"Do you know where he would have taken her?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything."

The Healer bent down next to Vala's ear and whispered the softest she had ever heard anyone before.

"My name is Terik. I was a good friend of Fannis."

Vala pulled Terik away from her and looked into his eyes. He was sincere.

"You're part of the underground?"

"Yes. Ever since we learned of your arrival in The Ori galaxy, we have been keeping tabs on you. Working our way to get closer to you. To help rescue you."

"Why couldn't you have done that before I gave birth?"

"It was never safe, as long as you carried The Orici. Now that she is no longer in control of you, we can move as we please."

"But won't The Doci know that I am gone?"

Terik shook his head, "He asked me to rid of your body. He is weakened in his attempt to restore you. He will not be a problem for several hours. We can use it as a window to get you out and find the Orici."

"When do we leave?"

"You are still too weakened. It is not safe to move until you are stronger."

"We don't have the time to wait. I have to find my daughter and get back to my own universe," Vala said as she motioned for Terik to help ease her up.

"We have several hours, you really should rest."

"I can't rest," Vala whispered softly. "Not til I know if Daniel's ok."


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

Despite lingering protests, Kebechet was kept in the infirmary. Mitchell stood at her bed, staring down at the prone and dying figure with mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was extremely beautiful. It reminded him of something his grandma used to say about how the devil always wore a pretty face. If Shifu was to be believed, this girl was as good as the devil himself. Maybe, worse. If that was at all possible.

"She always had admirers," whispered a small voice from behind.

Mitchell turned around to see the man, Netan, Shifu called him, standing up unsteadily behind him.

"Whoa, pal, you're recovering from major surgery, you should go back to bed."

"I'm fine," Netan replied as he took an unsteady step forward, losing his balance. If it weren't for Mitchell's quick thinking, he would have landed face first on the floor. "Maybe I should return to bed."

"Ya think?"

Putting one arm around Netan's shoulder, Mitchell guided him back to the bed. It took several minutes for the nurses to reattach all his tubes and wires and for Lam to give him a quick once over before they had finally been alone.

"So how long were the two of you married?"

Netan looked to Mitchell in suprise, "How did you - "

"A little glowing birdy told me."

"For supposed enlightened beings they sure do have big mouths."

Both Netan and Mitchell laughed simultaneously.

"Seriously, what happened to her?"

Mitchell could see how quickly Netan's face turned dour.

"She was so sweet. So kind. So loving. Like I had said earlier. She always had admirers. And it wasn't hard to see why. She could see the good in people, even when there wasn't anything there. We had first met when we were teenagers. I came from bad stock. Growing up the only opportunities I had were given to me thru charity. Everyone knew it. Everyone judged me. That is until I met Aleajandra. She saw something in me that even I didn't see and helped me to become the man I always wanted to be: a successful and respected member of the community."

"How long after you met did you get married?"

"We were married quickly, but not long, a year at the most, before the Goa'uld came. They destroyed everything. Killed almost everyone, and so I believed Aleajandra included. With the help of a Tok'ra we formed a rebellion that usurped the Goa'uld reign on our planet, freeing our people. It was then I heard rumblings. Whispers that she had been taken as a host. And for the last ten years I have wondered. I have looked for clues. Held to hope. And now that I know for a fact that she is alive, that is all I have to show for it."

Mitchell met Netan's gaze at Kebechet. If looks could kill, she would already be dead.

"I'm really sorry, man. I honestly though I just knicked her."

"Dr. Lam has explained to me what has happened. And I do not blame you. I blame myself. If I had not been so caught up in my own wants and needs I would have never went looking for her. I would have never awakened her," Netan replied greviously as he shot a glance at Daniel Jackson. "None of this would have happened."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, allright? All you were doing was trying to rescue your wife from the clutches of the Goa'uld. Trust me if there is anyone who will get where it is you were coming from, its Daniel."

"But I should have never went along with Kebechet to begin with. I don't even know why I let myself be led around the way I did."

"Hey, I don't blame you. And I don't think anyone here will. None of us were aware of the bigger picture, hell I'm not even sure what the bigger picture is anymore."

Netan nodded softly, "I thank you for your understanding. It is oddly comforting."

"Don't mention it," Mitchell said as he gave Netan a friendly pat on the arm. "Now, I was wondering if you would be willing to answer a few questions for me. Shifu gave me an idea of what's going on but I keep feeling I am missing something. I want you to start from the moment you found your wife and fill me in on everything that happened from there. I need to find out what she was doing to Daniel and why. It may be the only thing that can save him.

"Sure," Netan said as he sat up softly. "Ask away."

ooooo

Vala had been walking for hours.

As Terik had said the pain in her chest had ceased and her heart continued to beat. It still ached something terrible and there were moments when she felt her heart struggling within her chest. Although she was alive, she was far from being physically fine. It was something she tried desperately to hide from Terik, who she knew would have made them rest or completely stop their trek all together. But Vala had to keep going. Her mind focused on getting off of the planet and back to Daniel.

Thanks in part to Terik being a Healer, the escape from the ship had been relatively easy. Now they were marching thru vast forestry in order to reach a safe haven the Underground had set up on a nearby ridge. It was their hope of securing her a shuttle to a moon on the outskirts of Ori space. It was the only planetary body in that system that could support life and it was so far out of sight the Ori did not bother with it. It made for the perfect headquarters for the rebellion.

As they walked along, she had come to accept that there was no way she could rescue her daughter on her own. That she needed help. Daniel's help. Despite everything that screamed in her mind and in her body to find her daughter, she knew that even with the help of the Underground, she didn't stand a chance without him. She had to keep the faith that Tomin would keep his word and protect her. She had see the kindness return to Tomin, who had been seething since her betrayl. She had no doubt in her mind that she would.

oooooo

The argument between Sheppard and Weir continued right up until the Odyssey's arrival.

"We'll talk more about this later, John," Weir said as she walked out the door.

"Elizabeth, please," Sheppard continued as he trailed right behind her. "You know I am right about this!"

Weir stopped dead in her tracks, turning to Sheppard with a look he rarely saw, but knew it meant business.

"We're not going to refuse Daniel and the other wounded access to medical treatment just because one of them may be the bad guy. Does that mean we are going to let our guard down. No. It means that we will just keep a closer eye on our patients. And if what you say turns out to be true, we will take matters in order to deal with it. But for now, I need you one hundred percent, on your guard and standing beside me while we try and deal with this. There is alot going on here, John and the only way we are going to get thru it is together."

Sheppard hated to admit that she was right, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

Weir looked at Sheppard and he looked back at her in a way they had only done a few times prior. It spoke of something more profound, an intimate trust neither wanted to really dwell upon.

"Now lets get going," Sheppard said breaking the uncomfortable silence. "We've got guests to greet."


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

Mitchell and Netan had talked right up until their arrival at Atlantis. He had filled him in with every detail of what Kebechet had told him. Once they had docked and Daniel had been moved to the infirmary, he had met with Sheppard and Weir to discuss the situation. He was grateful that Rodney had kept Sam busy enough that she wasn't more involved in the conversation. He didn't like having to keep things from her, but so much had happened, it was almost hard to explain.

"The Ancients suck."

"John!" Weir exclaimed as she shot a scolding glance his direction.

Mitchell nodded in agreement, "I second that."

"Look, I know that the situation with Daniel raises up some sketchy ethical issues -"

"Sketchy ethical issues? Elizabeth, the Ancients are playing god with our lives. And I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it. Look what they did to Carson. To Daniel. Not to mention what they've done to countless others."

"John, I don't excuse what the Ancients have done. Especially to Carson and Daniel. But we need to look at things more rationally before we try and figure a way to deal with it."

"Look, Dr. Weir," Mitchell replied as he tried to hold back his emotions. "I know you're trying to be diplomatic about the situation, but the time for diplomacy is out the window."

"What he said!"

Mitchell shot Sheppard a glance that cleary made him realize he was not helping the situation any.

"Sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now as I was saying before, I'm tried of being manipulated and confused and be made to feel powerless while my friends are suffering."

"What do you suggest we do?"

Mitchell looked to Sheppard with a knowing glance, one that told Elizabeth the two had been discussing something behind her back.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Now, let us explain everything before you start freaking out, Elizabeth, but Mitchell and I had a talk and we've come to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, we shouldn't be trying to blow up the Supergate."

"But if we don't blow it up, wouldn't that mean that the Ori would have access to our galaxy?"

"That's exactly what it means?"

"Are you insane!"

"Now, Elizabeth, calm down, you said you would let us explain."

"We just rid ourselves of the Goa'uld and you want to bring another all powerful threat upon us. How can you justify that."

"Look, Dr. Weir. As my grandma used to say, sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Now all indications tell us that our fight with the Ori is inevitable, that anything we do will only delay it. Even if we shut down the Supergate and it keeps them away for another fifty or a hundred years or hell, even two years, we will never be ready for them."

"But you're talking about starting a war. I can't in good conscience let you do that."

"Elizabeth, we're already at war. One we didn't even know we were fighting. The Ancients have used and manipulated us. Killed us. Why? Because they can. The Ori, like many of our conflicts, is a situation of their own making. I think its time that they start fighting their own messes for once."

"But. all of the universe will be caught in the crossfire."

"We'd be caught regardless, Dr. Weir. At least with this situation, we would have some control over it. We bring the war to them. Make them deal with the consequences for a change."

Weir tried desperately to form a response when a call interrupted her. She was thankful.

"Weir. Yes, Dr. Lam. Thank you. We'll be right down."

"Do they have any word on Daniel?" Mitchell asked curiously.

"Dr. Lam has finsihed with his tests, she has something she wants us to see."

The three immeidately got up from their seats and headed out the door. It had taken them only moments uding one of the Ancient lifts. Dr. Lam was waiting for them when the doors had opened.

"I'm happy the three of you can join me, please, follow me," Lam instructed as they walked into Carson's office.

"How's Daniel doing?" Mitchell asked unsure if he really wanted to know.

Her expression said everything.

"Daniel suffered a massive heart attack caused by an interruption in the electrical conduction of his heart. Its as if he got struck by a massive amount of electrical energy directly into his heart. My guess is caused by that Ancient device down on the planet."

"What's his prognosis?"

"Not good, Dr. Weir. The Ancient scans are showing extensive scar tissue caused by damage to his heart muscle. Right now we have him in a medically induced coma, in the hopes it will help, but I have to be honest . . . " Lam's words trailed off as she fought to maintain her composure. Mitchell's worst fears were realized. "There's nothing that can be done to save his heart."

"He's going to die, isn't he?"

"Not necessarily, Cam. We may be able to save him with a heart transplant."

"How likely a possibility is it he would find a donor?"

"That's why I called you here. Your gunshot victim happens to be the right blood type and size we'll need for Daniel."

Mitchell looked at the others unnerved, "You want to give Kebechet's heart to Daniel?"

"The bullet caused extensive tissue damage but managed to keep the heart intact. There is no medical explanation for why she's dying, unless Sheppard is right and she is trying to Ascend."

"But if she dies and Ascends then her entire body will revert to a glowy state. How would be able to get her heart?"

"There is lies the problem," Lam stated with unease. "Short of harvesting it while she's still alive, I don't see how we're gonig to get it."

"So in order to save Daniel's life," Mitchell said as he rubbed his face in frustration. "We're going to have to kill Kebechet."

oooo

Daniel Jackson awoke to find himself in a snowy forest. His body ached from head to tow like had been struck by a car. His head was spinning. Slowly but surely he picked himself up, taking a few minutes to gather his thought and bearings. He was surrounded by snow covered pine trees and rotted logs. It was dark, save for the light of the full moon that shone down on the clearing where Daniel now found himself standing.

"It is good to see you again, Daniel," said a deep montone voice from behind. "It has been too long."

A chill ran down Daniel's spine. He would recognize that voice from anywhere. This had to be some type of hallunication or dream. It couldn't be real. Slowly he turned around, trying to quell the terror that ran through his mind.

There stood a man, young and athetically built, dressed head to two in black, sporting an outfit straight out of the middle ages. The man said nothing, he merely smiled at Daniel. A wide, menacing grin in which Daniel found himself frozen with terror.

He closed his eyes, and swallowed hard, before he responded in kind.

"Hello, Anubis."


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

"I can't believe we are even thinking about doing this?"

Elizabeth Weir had been experience a whirlwind of emotion since leaving Dr. Lam. Exasperated at the sudden lengths her people were willing to go left her stunned. _This isn't what Atlantis is supposed to be about. We're supposed to be better than this._

"I understand your frustrations, Elizabeth," Teyla replied in a comforting tone. "But it is not like we have not done questionable things before."

"And look where its gotten us! I'm just afraid Teyla that if we go down these roads, we won't be able to come back from them."

"I agree that the idea to allow these Ori into our galaxy is beyond irresponsible, but I don't think either John or Cameron are serious about it."

"What makes you say that?"

"They are both been on edge since Carson and Daniel Jackson's injuries. They are not thinking clearly. They are thinking only with revenge."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid they will do something stupid before they've had the chance to calm down."

"I will speak with both of them. Maybe if they get the chance to unload their burdens on someone trustworthy, they will no longer think of such things."

"Thank you. Then we have the whole matter of Kebechet to deal with. I can't even fathom that even Dr. Lam is considering killing her to save Daniel."

"Maybe it is for the best."

Weir was taken aback by the response, "You just sat there and told me that wiping out the Ancients is a bad idea but your willing to let an innocent person be harvested for her organs?"

"Elizabeth, from what Netan has told us, she is far from innocent."

"So that gives us the right to kill her?"

"You need to see things from this perspective. We cannot let her ascend. And if Dr. Jackson does not recieve a transplant, he will not survive. If everyone is right about Daniel, he may be our only hope of stopping The Ori."

"But we'll be playing god, Teyla. I'm not comfortable with that."

"As my grandfather once said, there are times when horrible actions are necessary in order to prevent an even more horrible outcome. Her death could end up saving millions of lives, Elizabeth. You have to see it from that perspective."

"But what if we're wrong about Daniel, wrong about her. Then what does that make us. We'd be killing her for nothing."

"We'd be giving her an honorable death. Elizabeth, she has been spending the last decade of her life physically and mentally suffering. She is dying already. That cannot be stopped. But why should her death be horrific and without meaning."

"I still don't know if I can do it, Teyla."

"Let me leave you with this: if it were you in this situation, what would you have us do?"

Elizabeth watched as Teyla gave her a small reassuring smile and proceeded to walk out the door. As the leader, it was her job to make the tough decisions, more so than many others in her position. So before she made any decision, she knew there was only one person with whom she would speak that would give her the advice that she needed.

ooooo

Netan watched as Kebechet slept. Dr. Lam had said they were keeping her sedated to keep her from trying to escape. Something he thought was a bright idea given her manipulative and diabolical nature. She also told him about Dr. Jackson's condition and how Aja was a perfect match. It made sense given their shared genetic history. He knew that the figure in front of him wasn't his wife and hadn't been for a long time, but he hated to admit that he was uneasy about the idea.

"You must be Netan," said a soft, yet commanding voice from behind.

Netan turned to find a tall, muscular blonde woman standing in the doorway of the infirmary.

"You must be Samantha Carter. Mitchell has told me much about you."

"Same here. I was just sitting with Daniel, figured I would come over and introduce myself."

"How is Dr. Jackson?"

Sam's expression grew grim, "Not good. Dr. Lam isn't sure how much longer he'll be able to survive without a transplant."

"So I've been told," Netan responded turning back to Kebechet.

Sam could sense his conflict. His weariness regarding this woman, who in all intents purposes, was his wife. Although her soul had left long before.

"Look, Netan, I know its not my place, but I know what you're going thru. I had to make a similar decision once. It tore me up inside. Deeply. To this day there are still scars. But I knew that what I was doing was right and that I was saving someone's life."

"In my head, I know my wife is gone, Samantha. But tell that to my heart."

Sam smiled softly as she sat next to Netan, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Talking about it helps. And I'm here to listen if you want."

Netan looked down at their interlocking hands, feeling genuine comfort for this first time since this situation had started.

"I think I would like that," he replied as he smiled right back at her.

oooo

They had reached the ridge by early nightfall. Vala had dismissed Terik's attempts to examin her by stating that she was going to rest, which put his mind to ease. They had taken up in what had once been a large farmhouse, on a vast acreage of private property. She was thankful she was given her own room, and practically ran the small set of steps leading upstairs and locked the doorway behind her.

Merely three feet from the door, she fell backward on the bed, her hand pressed so hard against her chest, it was turning her knuckles white. Within the last few hours of her journey, she began suffering from bouts of a rapid heartbeat. Ranging from slightly faster, to the thunderous gallops she now experience. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was flip flopping in her chest like a fish on dry land. Within a few minutes, it slowed down back to it continous, struggling beat.

She took comfort in the fact that if her heart was still suffering the way it was, then it meant that she was still connected to Daniel and that meant that although suffering, Daniel was still alive. It was the one thing that kept her going. She sat up softly, but found that her latest episode left her considerably weakened. With tremendous effort, she pulled herself up against a pillow. She looked at the table beside her, there was a wash basin, its pitcher was warm to the touch. Moving slowly, she poured some into the basin and grabbed a nearby cloth. It was a struggle, but she had managed to pull her bodice off, allowing her to place the cloth against her chest. A warm sensation came across her, bringing some relief to the ache in her body.

As she sat there, continually refreshing the cloth when it had become cold, she contimplated more thoughtfully what had happened after she had given birth. She had come to the conclusion during their trek that she couldn't have truly been dead. Otherwise she wouldn't be walking around as she was. She figured that her heart had stopped momentarily but that her heart had been beating so faintly afterwards, that she appeared dead. That somehow, The Doci had strengthened it enough for Terik's potion, which she likened much to liquid adrenaline, that got it going enough for her to regain consciousness. She was thankful that Terik's knowledge of medicince was limiting and that she was able to conceal her present condition so well.

However, if things continued to progress the way they did, she doubted it would be for much longer. She needed to get off the planet. She needed to get to Daniel. If she was this bad off, she couldn't fathom what was happening to him. She didn't want to. She had to get to him no matter what. And nothing, not a cautious Healer or a faltering heart was going to stop her.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59**

Vala was able to hide her condition from Terik until dinner, when she was struck by another one of her bouts. This time around, it happened surrounded by Terik and his colleagues, and was twice as draining as her last. She had to confess to Terik her past bouts and how awful she was feeling.

"I was afraid of this," he whispered looking to the group of worried onlookers.

"Afraid of what?" Vala asked, the panic rising in your voice.

Terik took a seat next to Vala, "I'm afraid your heart is in no condition for us to continue."

"I have to get off this planet and find Daniel."

"You are in a vary dangerous situation. These bouts you have been suffering are merely a precusor of something far more serious and on the inevitable horizon."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning that what you explained to me about what happened to your friend, Daniel, may very well happen to you if you continue any further."

"So you're saying that if I could have a heart attack?"

"Its looking more and more likely."

Vala sat momentarily lost in thought before she responded. "I don't care. I don't care what happends to me. I have to find Daniel. I have to, or die trying."

oooooo

"It is good to finally look upon you with my own eyes," Anubis said as he walked closer to Daniel. "I had spent far too long hiding behind masks."

Daniel looked at Anubis uneasy, "What is this place?"

"Part of our genetic memory."

"Our?"

Anubis smiled, "The nanites within in you contain trace amounts of my genetic matierial, therefore you have access to my genetic memories, and to the memories of all the Goa'uld that came before me. Now thanks in part to your time in the Ancient chair, you can access them as readily as you can your own."

"Why? So you could take me over? Control me like you did that day you possessed me?"

"No, Daniel Jackson. There is not enough of my genetic matierial to make the memories you possess of me or my brethren have any type of physical control over you."

"Then what's the point?"

"You had two doors to choose from. You chose door number two. A wise decision, my friend. That first door, that would have put you down the same path as Orion, and Arthur before you. And that is what Indra and the Ancients wanted you to do. To choose their path for you. To do their bidding. To become their Prophet. But you didn't. You made your own choice. One based on love. And that has led you here."

"What would you know about love?" Daniel scoffed sarcastically.

"I know everything!" Anubis shouted taking Daniel slightly aback. "Everything I did, I did for my wife and my children. My intentions in the beginning were noble ones, Daniel. But like it is with ultimate power, it corrupts and soon, destruction of those who murdered my family just wasn't enough. If I couldn't live with my family, nothing else could live."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you are walking the dark path, Daniel. Dark doesn't necessarily mean evil. But it can go that way if you don't put it in check. It is important that you do so, for the path you are walking is one of your own making. You have chosen to create your own destiny. What you do with it, is ultimately yours. Be careful where you step."

"So I'm not the Prophet?"

"That destiny was never set in stone. It was merely a possibility for you. But you chose not to take the easy route. To let the Ancients and Ori turn you into their puppet. You choose a path laid with thorns. But a path that is and will always be entirely yours."

"What Shifu showed me. That place. My traveling this path will lead me there."

"You and Vala. You will unite the galaxy, Daniel Jackson, but in a different way. One that is more lasting. A fitting legacy."

"And what Shifu said about Adria, was that true as well."

"Yes. She is and always will be bound to the Ori. There is nothing that can be done."

Daniel hung his head in despair.

"Fear not, Daniel. There will be others."

"Others? As in more children?"

"Yes. And how far down the dark path you tread will determine their fates. It is important that you remain true to who you are, no matter who that happens to be when this is all said and done."

"What is happening to me?"

"You're becoming a different being. One of your own making. What that ultimately means is up to you. But know that I am now a part of you. Just as much as Orion. Just as much as Arthur."

"And I'm supposed to find that comforting?"

"You know as well as I do that all Goa'uld, no matter how buried deep it may be, possess a spark of humanity. A needle of good in a haystack of evil. The genetic matierial I am gave to you was the only good thing that remained within me."

"Again, why would you do that?"

"Because you remind me of me. Of who I was before circumstances changed me into the mosnter that I became. Our lives are very similar, Daniel Jackson. Oma knew it. Now you do as well. Time is running short Daniel. Vala survived the birth of Adria, and she is fighting will all her strength to get to you. But you must find her before it is too late."

"Too late?"

"You're not the only one with a bad ticker. And given Vala's current location and lack of proper medical treatment, I would say you are probably fairing a lot better than her at the moment."

"I'm the reason she's sick, I just can't stand by and do nothing."

"Well your definately in no condition to help her now, are you?"

"I can't just let her die!"

"I know you can't. That is where I come in."

"What are you planning on doing?"

Anubis only smiled, "Just leave it to me."

ooooo

Nightfall had come to Atlantis and Dr. Carolyn Lam was awoken from a restful sleep by the sound of alarm bells. Taking a nap in a nearby bunk, she raced into the infirmary. Netan, who had been improving way beyond expectation had been moved to a private room near her office. Dr. Beckett, who was still in a coma, was rapidly improving. That only left one of two patients. Turning the corner to where their beds lay, she was shocked at what she saw.

Kebechet had a pillow over her face, her heart monitors were flatlined.

"I need help!" Lam cried as her nursing staff, following by Netan and Sam followed suit.

"What happened," Netan asked just as Lam was taking the pillow off of her face.

"Someone was trying to kill her."

Sam and Netan watched for several agonizing minutes as Lam worked on Kebechet, breathing a sigh of relief when her heart started beating.

"I need to run an EEG stat!" Lam barked at one of the frazzled nurses, who ran quickly do as she asked.

"Carolyn, what's going on?" Sam asked walking over to a frightened and frazzled Lam.

"I don't know."

"Why would someone try to kill her? Don't we need her alive for Dr. Jackson's transplant."

"I don't think someone was trying to kill her. Just trying to cut off the oxygen to her brain. There's no telling how long she was without it before her heart stopped."

"Meaning what?"

Sam turned to Netan with a pained look, "Meaning there is a possibility that if she was deprived of oxygen long enough - she could be brain dead."

The three looked at Kebechet as the nursing staff ran in the with the EEG monitor. Everyone unaware of the large, crooked, menacing grin that was plastered across Daniel Jackson's face.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60**

Dr. Carolyn Lam sat at the briefing room table, transfixed and somewhat stunned, as she watched the security footage from the infirmary. When it was all said and done she found that all eyes were on her, as she had to put her confusion momentarily aside in order to say what needed to be said.

"We ran every test available to us," she stated as she cleared her throat. "EEG. MRI. And practically every Ancient diagnostic equiptment available and all they all say the same thing. There's no sign of brain activity."

"So, she is brain dead?"

"Yes, Sam. I'm afraid she is."

John Sheppard still sat staring at the screen, his mind still mulling over the images that he saw. No one had murdered Kebecht. The video showed the Goa'uld holding the pillow over her own face. She had smothered herself.

"I still don't get how this is entirely possible," he said with complete confusion. "We had her sedated. She wasn't conscious and if she was, didn't possess the strength to do something like that."

"And why?" Mitchell chimed in. "Even if she could, what reason would she have to do that to herself?"

"We know she's trying to Ascend. Maybe this was her way of trying to expedite the process."

"Yeah, but Sam, she didn't Ascend. She's being kept alive by all those machines. I still don't get the point of all of this."

"We may never know the point," Weir added. She had been uncharistically silent thru most of the exchange. "What we do know is that with Kebechet gone, we can proceed with the transplant. Have we spoken with her husband yet?"

"Not yet," Sam added softly. "I was just on my way to speak with him."

ooooo

Samantha Carter had sat with Netan since last night. Ever since Lam confirmed that Kebechet was brain dead, he had been taking it pretty hard. Even though he would have been the last person to admit it. Sam watched as he sat in his bunk, pretending to sleep, just to avoid all the questions and the chaos that surrounded last nights events.

"You do know that I know you're not asleep," Sam whispered as she stood outside the door to his quarters.

"Then why are you standing there watching me then?" he turned, looking at Sam with annoyance.

"I wanted to see how long you were going to keep pretending," she replied taking a seat next to Netan as he sat up on his bed. "And, well, you looked kinda cute."

Netan gave Sam a disparging look. It reminded her alot of the looks her father used to give her when he was disapprove of something she had said.

"You still should have said something."

"I will take note of it for next time."

"I know why you are here, Samantha," Netan replied getting right to the point.

Although initially taken aback by his forwardness, she knew it would be best for everyone if they got straight to the point.

"You are her next of kin," she admitted sheepishly. "We would need your consent for the transplant."

"She is no kin of mine," Netan chided, hiding his true feelings. "You may do as you please."

Sam touched Netan's hand gently, he tried not to respond.

"Look, I know how hard this is on you. Believe me, I do. I've had more than my fair share of heartbreak. Pretty much every man I have ever loved has died. Some, brutally so. And despite it having happened again and again, it cuts me each time. I suffer. I grieve. To this day, I still grieve. But, you know what? I don't let that stop me from living my life. From opening myself up to love again. I know how painful this must be for you. I know how it sucks royal that you spent so long trying to find her. Holding out hope only to have it end like this. It must be tearing you apart. And I know that you are only telling yourself that it was just the Goa'uld so that it doesn't hurt as much, but you know what? The only person you are fooling is yourself. It hurts. It hurts like hell. And its going to hurt like hell for a long time, but ignoring it is not going to make it any better. She's still your wife and you're never going to be able to move on unless you say a proper goodbye - "

"Who says I want to move on!" Netan interrupted. "I was supposed to die! I took comfort in what had happened to her because I had within me the idea that I was going to die. That we would be together again. So imagine what it felt like to wake up and find out that I'm not going to? That I have my entire life ahead of me? An entire life without her? I lived for ten years with the small hope that she was out there somewhere. That I would see her again. That we would be together. And now -"

Netan's attempts at holding back his emotions were faltering, Sam could see that the dam's were about to burst.

"Now I have to live the rest of my life without her. You tell me how I am supposed to do that! You tell me how I am supposed to let her go!"

Sam put her arms around Netan as he burst into tears, his gentle sobs causins her own heart to break.

"You're not alone in this," Sam stiffled as she stroke the top of Netan's head. "I know it probably seems impossible to even fathom right now, but you are surrounded by friends. People who care. Who understand your pain and are here to help you thru it when you're ready. And you know who will be the most understanding of all of us? Daniel. He has literally been exactly where you are right now. And as impossible as it may seem, he got thru it. And if anyone can help you get to that point, its him. But, Netan, that can't happen if he dies. He needs that transplant and he needs it now."

Netan quieted his cries pulling himself out of Sam's arms to look her in the face.

"I will give my consent. But I want to say my goodbye's first."

"Whenever you're ready."

"Will you come with me?

"Yeah, I will go with you" Sam smiled sweetly. "That's what friends do."

Netan looked to Sam as he wiped the tears from his eyes, and smiled back.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

"How did you do that?"

Anubis looked up at Daniel Jackson with tremendous amusement, "I told you there was a different path for you then what the Ancients had in mind, and I just now demonstrated it to you."

"And what kind of path would that be?"

"The path of genetic memory, dear Daniel. It is the path the Ancients always feared to tread. But it is one you will master."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"The Goa'uld knew how to master genetic memories and the Ancients knew how to keep them in check. You have the memories of both inside of you now. You just need to be able to work thru them both. That is where I come in."

"You?"

"Yes, me. I was both Ancient and Goa'uld. I can navigate thru both. And with my help. So will you. This place that we're at, think of it as a sanctuary. A meeting place between the Ancient knowledge and the Goa'uld. You're very own virtual Kheb."

"So, what, now you're my Oma?"

"I am what Oma was always afraid to be?"

"What, evil?"

"No, Daniel Jackson. A true teacher. Oma only taught as far as her fears allowed her. And she treaded no further. She saw within me potential to master both worlds. It was her fears and that of The Others that stopped her from seeing where this could lead. She never allowed herself to explore the true potential of what we could have been together. It is why you chose to descend, it was why she wiped your memories, because she knew with you, as she did with me, that you had the potential to be what she was too afraid to think of."

"And what would that be?"

"The Archetype."

"Archetype of what?"

"Human evolution. You see, Daniel Jackson, as Shifu showed you, genetic memory can go both ways. It can show us the past as well as the possibilites of the future. As I mentioned before you will have more children after Adria. Two, to be exact. And they will be so important. More important than either of us will ever truly know or understand. Your son will be magnificient, a great leader of men. Your daughter will be beautiful, a great scientific mind. They will be your legacy. And the world Shifu showed to you, will be created by them."

Tears flew freely from Daniel's eyes, "Can I see them?"

"In time, Daniel Jackson. You will know them long before they are ever born. But for now, you must concentrate on yourself. And the kind of world you will be bringing them into. The kind of person you will be. That will all be determined in how you handle the gifts that are given onto you and how you use them to shape the world around you. Know now, Daniel, that their lives will be tremendously difficult. And that life for them will not be easy. But you can make it better for them by working with me now to ensure that this unending cycle that began with Orion ends with you. As Indra warned, either you will be The Prophet or you will be his father. What you do from this point forward, how far down the dark path you go, will determine if they will inherit your fate. The choice is yours."

Daniel stood a moment and allowed what Anubis told him to settle. His mind continually going back to what Shifu had showed him and spoke to him about. He understood now that by choosing the second door he had changed the course of his fate. All the glory, the hope, the greatness, no longer fell to him. Instead it would fall to his children. They would be the legends. The were the chosen ones now. What remained for Daniel was to be their father. To love them. To teach them. To make the world as safe as he could for them. And the first he had to do was to ensure that The Ori were taken care of and that the whole business with The Prophet ended with him.

"I'll do ask you ask, but there is one thing I need to know."

"And what would that be, Daniel Jackson?"

"Will Vala be their mother?"

"That remains to be seen," Anubis said as he inched closer to Daniel. "But the possibility is great. It all depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Whether she is with you or with them. What is happening with Vala's heart cannot be stopped. The two of you are connected. What happened to you, will happen to her. But how bad it will be depends greatly on where she is when all is said and done. If she is with you and thus surrounded by proper medical care, she will be healthy, no permanent damage. If she is still in the Ori galaxy, she will more than likely die."

oooo

Vala laid up in bed, propped up against at least half a dozen pillows. The pain was only getting worse. She agreed to hold up at the safe house for the night before making moves in the morning to try and pecure a ship off the planet. From what she had been told by other members of the underground, the moon they were heading for had a gate. Even though she knew it was too far away to reach the gate to Earth, it was a something, and right now that was all that she needed.

Terik had left her alone about an hour ago. Satisfied that there was very little he could do other than annoy Vala out of getting any real rest. But she couldn't rest. Not as long as Daniel's fate remained uncertain. She tried to push the thoughts out of her mind that she was too late. That this had all been for nothing. She couldn't fathom it. She had worked so hard. Suffered so much, and for so long. The last thing she wanted to think about was getting back to Earth to learn that Daniel had died. She didn't think she would survive it.

Vala was hit with a sharp wave of pain as another one of her bouts came on. She stiffled her cries, not want to waken Terik and his friends who could do little to soothe her suffering. She lay there with her eyes squinted shut, one had pressed tightly against her chest, the other grabbing her bed sheets til her knuckles went white. A few minutes passed before the pain ebbed but Vala felt awful. Worse than she ever had. Taking a look at her bedsheets, she realized she had vomited. Although incredbily weak, she slowly picked herself up and walked over to the wash basin. Knees wobbly, she wet a cloth and ringed it out. As she turned towards the bed, she felt an incredible kick in her chest, sending her to knees, her head falling hard on the mattress.

She was having another bout, and only a minute after the first subsided. In tremendous pain she grasped at the bedsheet with both hands, crying so loudly she woke the entire house. Terik was the first in her room.

"Grab my satchel!" he exclaimed to an onlooker who had followed him in the room.

The next few minutes were a fog. Vala remembered Terik desperately trying to get her to let go of the bed, but she was in so much pain, she was frozen. She barely remembered Terik moving her head to the side and pouring something into her mouth.

"Do not vomit!" he cried as she swallowed the putrid liquid down her throat.

Within seconds the pain subsided, and Terik was able to pry her off the mattress.

"Help me," he motioned to a woman standing nearby as the two of them lifted her up and onto the mattress.

Vala was still out of sorts, but felt noteably colder than she ever had after a bout. Especially in her chest.

"What did you give me?" he asked weakly.

"A last resort," Terike replied as he helped pull the covers over Vala. "In your present condition, you will not last long and given your determination to continue to Ver Vallis, I had to given into something I do not like to use. The liquid I gave you is a powerful potion. It will lower your body temperature significantly, to the point of hypothermia. This will significantly slow down your heartbeat and with it, hopefully, stop these bouts for now. However, this does not come without risk. Your heartbeat will be extremely slow and tremendously weak. It is my hopes, as past precident as shown, these bouts will be ceased for a short time. There is a possibility that it doesn't work. If it doesn't and you have a bout in this state, I will not be able to save you. Although, I do believe you would not have survived the hour had I not intervened."

"How long will this last?"

"There is enough of the potion in your system to last three days. After which I cannot give it again. There are Healers on Ver Vallis who are more adept and skilled at treating your kind of illness. It is my hope to make it there before it runs its course."

"When do we leave?"

"First thing in the morning," Terik said as he carressed the side of Vala's cheek. "We have intel on a ship. Now get your rest."

"I'm coming Daniel," she whispered as she closed her eyes as fell asleep.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62**

Cameron Mitchell and Elizabeth Weir stood at the foot of Daniel's bed, watching the archaeologist sleep.

"You do know that his time as a member of SG1 will more than likely end with this transplant," Mitchell said as he stole at look at Dr. Weir. "Regulation forbids active gate travel to transplant recipients. Thinks they're too much of a risk."

"I don't know about you, but I think they'll make an exception."

"I sure hope so," Mitchell replied as he stole a glance across the room to where Sam was standing with Netan. "What are we going to do about him?"

"He's the leader of the Lucian Alliance. They've committed countless numbers of crimes. We will have no choice but to turn him in."

"I know," Mitchell relented. "But it just seems wrong somehow. I mean, the guy made a few bad choices, who among us hasn't?"

"I know, I am not happy about the idea either. From the moment he was brought onboard I had this weird feeling he reminded me of someone."

"Daniel."

"Yeah. If Daniel had made different choices in his life. We often forget that our choices shape us into who we are meant to be. I wonder what Netan would have became if he had SG1 to support him like Daniel did."

"Well I don't see Netan as a lost cause, Dr. Weir, more like a work in progress," Mitchell took another look at Netan, whose tear-stained face was now buried in Sam's neck. "SG1 may not have had his back then, but we've got it now."

ooooo

Sam helped Netan to his feet as they made their way out of the infirmary. She wanted to check on Daniel, but saw Mitchell and Weir keeping vigil. It would have to wait. Netan had become a friend to her as well. She had not known his for very long, but in that short period of time, he touched her heart in a way few people had.

She would be lying if she didn't admit alot of that had to do with how much he reminded her of Daniel. Especially now. It brought back to Sam all the pain and memories of when Daniel lost Sha're. She would be the first to admit that she didn't handle that situation very well and fingered it as the moment her friendship with Daniel started to suffer.

As Sam and Netan entered his quarters, she watched as he slumped down on his bed defeatedly. His pain eschew of pain and misery.

"I want to thank you Samantha, for coming with me."

"Don't mention it," she replied taking a seat next to him. "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but things will get better."

"I know they will, but I am not sure what good it will do me."

"What do you mean?"

Netan gave Sam a look of resignment, "I am the leader of the Lucian Alliance, the galaxies most vicious smugglers and thieves. Now that I will live, do you believe I will end up anywhere besides a prison cell?"

"My people aren't like that, Netan. You will get a chance to tell your side of the story. Your actions saved Dr. Jackson's life. That will mean a lot to the people who make those kinds of decisions."

"Even if I did avoid prison, where am I supposed to go from here?"

"You're not planning on returning to the Alliance?"

"I have no reason to. The Alliance was my way of punishing the Goa'uld for what they did to my wife. Now that I have seen her with my own eyes, understand what really happened and have made my peace, I no longer seek retribution."

"I am glad to hear that."

"I am glad you are glad, but that still leaves me with the dilemma.I can never be who I was before the Goa'uld destroyed my planet but I no longer wish to be the man that rose up from its ashes. Which begs the question, Samantha Carter, who am I now?"

ooooo

Daniel just stood there, looking at Anubis with the most curious of grins.

"You know what's interesting," he said as began pacing circles around the Goa'uld. "Ever since this little adventure began I have been nothing but manipulated. Hell, my entire life has been one kind of manipulation after another."

"If all for a greater cause, Daniel Jackson."

"See, this is what bothers me the most. Everyone seems perfectly fine with making me their puppet, so long as it serves the greater purpose. As if that is supposed to make it okay. As if I am supposed to accept it as fact because its the right thing to do. Well, guess what. I don't care. I don't care about prophecy or destiny or genetic memory manipulation. None of it! You know what I do care about? Me."

"Be careful Daniel, before you make a decision you will later regret."

"I don't care if I regret it later. It would have been my choice," Daniel replied walking up to Anubis so that the two were face to face. You know what I think is interesting. Out of everyone who've been trying to manipulate me, Aja was the only one who said the decision was truly mine."

"Kebechet worked for me. She served my purpose."

"I didn't say Kebechet. I said Aja."

"Her host died, only Kebechet remained."

"You know as well as I do, that isn't true. Aja was mentally unstable. The Goa'uld was the only thing that kept her fragmented mind together. When it died, the only way she could remain from going completely insane was to develop an alternate personality. One mirrorred after Kebechet, with whom she always felt was stronger. She carried out Kebechet's plans but deep down, she could not follow thru with them. She wasn't trying to hurt me. She was to stop what happened to her to happen to me."

"And how would you know that?"

"The last thing she said to me was that there was no such thing as destiny. That is was our choices that lead us down certain paths. Now I realize that all everyone has been trying to do is take the choice away from me."

"Not take away, Daniel Jackson, guide."

"I'm not a child. I no longer need guidance."

With a swift move Daniel knocked Anubis to the ground, landing him on the ground. Beneath his long robes Daniel saw the very thing he needed. A very large, very thick knife. Anubis, sensing where Daniel's eyes were leading, pleaded mercilessly.

"You will need my help when this is all said and done, Daniel."

Daniel only smiled as he grabbed the blade and raised it above his head, "That may be true, but I don't want it. Now get the hell out of my head!"

Daniel brought the blade down with swift precision, stabbing Anubis right in the heart. Within moments, there was a bright flash of light as Daniel found himself in the long hallway once more. The blade, still dripping with blood in his hand. Aja had brought him here for him to make a choice. And he had. No longer was he going to be a follower. He was a leader. Looking around he noticed that the doors that had vanished before had now returned. With swift action he walked down to the first door and kicked it swiftly open.

With an ere of confidence and determination he stepped thru the doorway. He understood now what he was going to do - He was going to take back his life.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63**

Daniel Jackson sat in the recliner of his study. The sounds of Simon and Garfunkel now replaced by Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom. Something Daniel found epicly fitting. His face, hands and clothes were spattered with blood. He said nothing. Just sat there. From the foot of the chair a trail of blood flowed leading into the nearby hallway. The once white walls now splattered with blood, the doors, once pristene, now broken and rotting. He didn't know if what he did was the right thing. If it would lead him down the right path or not. What he did know. What he cared about, was that the choice was his and his alone. He would deal with the consequences.

Wiping the blood from his face and hands with a nearby blanket, he surveyed the long hallway. There was only one door remaining. The one at the far end of the hallway, the rotting decrepit door that had led him to Vala. He was going to lead the issue of The Ori to his friends, with whom he was placing a tremendous amount of faith. He would deal with them in his own time. Right now all that mattered was getting to Vala and getting her home. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. He knew given his present condition that physically it would be impossible, but he knew deep down that if he could reach her, she would be saved.

ooooo

"You have the opportunity to start your life over again," Samantha Carter said as she took a bite of the lime green gelatin. "You could be whatever you want now."

"Therein lies the problem, I don't know what I want," Netan admitted. "That is, if I do not end up in a prison cell."

"You won't. General O'Neill makes a final decision regarding that and Daniel is his best friend. When he hears how you gave your consent for the transplant that saved his life, not only will you not go to prison, he might just give you a medal."

"Even if that is true, leaving the Alliance will be easier said than done. I may sway many to give up their ways but there are too many ravaged by the Goa'uld to walk away from the cause. It would be anarchy."

"Well who says you have to go back. You could always stay here in the Pegasus galaxy. Its far enough away that you would be out of the Alliance's reach and it would give you the chance to start over. Figure out what you want to do."

An awkward silence befell them for several minutes before they were interrupted by Mitchell.

"Hey, just wanted to let you guys know, that Daniel's out of surgery."

"And?" Sam asked as she placed the gelatin on a nearby table.

"Barring rejection, which she doesn't think is likely, Daniel is looking to make a full recovery."

Overwhelmed with joy, Sam jumped up to give Mitchell a gigantic hug. It took a second for her to realize that Netan was still in the room.

"I just wanted to say how sorry I am over the loss of your wife," Mtichell stated sitting at the foot of Netan's bed. "I know that our joy must be painful for you."

Netan smiled softly, "She is in a better place. Of that I am certain."

"I can stay here with you for a while if you want to talk about it," Sam offered. But Netan could see she wanted to be somewhere else.

"No, I am fine Samantha. Go on and visit your friend."

"I'll be back," she said as she bent down and quickly kissed Netan on the forehead. Both he and Mitchell exchanged looks but shrug it off as she exited the room.

"Talk to you later man," Mitchell nodded as he followed right behind.

ooooo

"What was that?" Mitchell asked curiously as they made their way down the small hallway from Netan's quarters to the infirmary.

"What was what?"

"You kissed him?"

"On the forehead. It was a friendly peck."

"Friendly peck?"

"Netan is a friend of mine and we've become close."

"How close?"

"Cam!" Sam berated as she playfully smacked him in the shoulder. "Its not like that."

"Then what's it like?"

"Its hard to explain. I know that realistically I have only known Netan a few days, but I just have this connection to him. Like I have known him forever."

"Its because he reminds you of Daniel."

"There's that. But honestly, Cam, there is more to it than that. And honestly, it unnerves me a little."

"In what way?"

"I feel so comfortable when I am with him. Like I can tell him anything and he would understand. Like there is an unspoken communication between us."

"Do you think there could be anything else?"

"I just met him, Cam. How could there be?"

As they rounded the corner to the infirmary, they were met by John Sheppard and Dr. Weir, neither one of whom looked too pleased.

"What's going on?" Mitchell asked immediately dropping the subject and taking in the situation at hand. "Is is Daniel?"

"No. Dr. Jackson is fine," Weir reasurred as she gave a sideways glance to Sheppard. "Its Kebechet, she's gone."

"Gone how?" Sam asked afraid of what they would say.

"Her body is gone," Sheppard stated matter-fo-factly. "The nurses finished dressing it to prepare it for transport to the morgue. They said there was this flash of light and when they looked at where the body was, it was gone. Only her clothes remained."

"She Ascended?" Mitchell asked, in a shocked and suprised tone.

Weir nodded, "We believe so."

"But how?"

"We're not exactly sure, but we were warned that there was a possibilty by an Ascended Being who has helped us in the past."

"Warned about what?"

"That she was different. And if she were to Ascend she would become a great evil."

oooooo

Vala slept for most of the trek to the shipyard. Terik had managed to secure her passage on a small ship heading towards the outer rim planets of The Ori system. But only for her. Once he reached the rim she would be met by underground spies who would take her all the way to Ver Vallis. Her condition had also greatly improved over the journey. At first she had attributed to Terik's potion. It made her feel better.

However about half way thru their journey Terik noticed a slight improvement in her condition. And as time passed, an even greater improvement. She made a complete turn around in such a short period of time. He had attributed it to a misdiagnosis on his part and was confident that with time, the spells would pass.

But Vala knew it was different. It was the sign she had been waiting for. The improvement in her health had to mean one thing: Daniel was alive and on the mend. For whatever reason, cosmic or Ancient, they were still connected. Although she was still incredibly weak and dizzy when she sat up but Vala was convinced that her heart was no longer in mortal jeopardy. Her overall safety and well being was something else entirely.

As she sat in the back of transport ship, she watched as Terik went over the details of the trip with the transport master. After patting the young man on the back, he came up to Vala and sat down beside her.

"This is where we part ways my dear," Terik stated as he gave Vala's hand a friendly squeeze. "These are men I trust. They have smuggled things for us in the past. They will take you to the rim. There you will meet up with Baz, he is my son. He will take you the rest of the way to Ver Vallis."

"I don't know how to thank you Terik."

"Find a way home. Find a way to safety. That will be all the thanks I need."

"I will. I promise."

Terik gave Vala's hand a small kiss before heading out the door. Vala waved goodbye as the transport doors closed and she felt the ship take orbit. Daniel was alive and she would find her way back to him. She knew now that she had to do what she could to keep her promise to Terik.

Now that she knew Daniel was okay, it would only be a matter of time.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64**

It was like something out of a memory. Or a dream. Or a nightmare. It all depends on your point of view.

Daniel Jackson stood in the door way of a night club. But not just any night club - a karaoke bar. Blood splattered and adrenaline fueled he stood with a look of utter confusion. He had walked through the door hoping to find Vala on the other side but instead found himself in a karaoke bar. One that he had frequented many times with the members of SG1 after particularly difficult missions. A place where they could let out their feelings through song. Even Jack, who had been known to belt one out every so often, despite being somewhat tone deaf and terribly, terribly drunk

"Didn't find what you were looking for Danny?" said a familliar voice to Daniel's right. He stood there momentarily stunned, although given what had happened the last few days, he really shouldn't have been. Turning in the direction of the voice, Daniel's confusion melted into a quivering mess.

"Mom?" he whispered, the words catching slightly in his throat.

Claire Jackson stared at her son's wide eyed shock with soft sweetness, "Hello baby. Its been a long time."

"Mom," Daniel cried as he pulled his mother into a warm embrace. "It's been longer than you'll ever know."

ooooo

"I thought you still had to be alive in order to reach Ascension?" Mitchell asked as he sat on the far end of the briefing room table.

"We were under that same impression," Weir countered, "But honestly we really don't know the whole picture regarding Ascension and what we do is nothing but a jumbled mess. We can't be certain of anything."

"But what about this Ascended that warned you," Sam said turning towards Sheppard. "Maybe she will be able to tell us more about it."

He could only shrug, "I've tried calling Chaya, but I haven't gotten a response. I think we have reached the limit of help that Ancients are willing to give at this point."

"To hell with the Ancients," Mitchell said as he took in everyone's shocked reactions. "What? I mean when have they ever really, and I mean really, done anything for us? They were more than willing to allow Anubis to destroy the galaxy rather than lift a finger in our favor. If Daniel hadn't of intervened, we would have been wiped from existence. I don't know about any of you, but I am tired of being at their mercy. I am tired of my friend's lives being placed in danger for their whims. I don't know about you, but I am not going to just stand around and let them do what they want, with whomever they want to do it with."

"What are you suggesting Colonel Mitchell?" Weir stated with piqued interest.

"If the Ancients are so eager to manipulate us to suit their needs, I think its time to give them a taste of their own medicine."

"How?" Sam asked not sure if she wanted to know what he had in mind.

"Daniel said that The Annals of the Emisarries, the chapter of The Book of the Ori, read alot like the biblical Book of Revelations meets Romeo and Juliet. So I'm thinking, what if, and this is a big if, we're able to use that to our advantage."

Sam looked to Mitchell with tremendous unease. She knew where he was heading with this, and she didn't like it one bit.

"We can't. It wouldn't be right."

"Can't or don't want to, Sam. Which one is it?"

"This isn't right. It isn't fair. Don't you think he's suffered enough."

"You can't let your personal feelings get in the way of what may be our best chance at changing the tide in this."

"My personal feelings? What about yours - "

"Hey!" Sheppard screamed as he stood up from his seat, ready at a moments notice to break up a fight if need be. "Would one of you please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Cam wants to use Netan to get to Aja."

"Do you really think that would work at this point?" Weir asked skeptically. "I mean she didn't seem all that willing to help him before?"

"According to the Annals, Shadow has a counterpart, Light. Light has a tremendous influence on Shadow. They yearn to be together. I am thinking we can use Netan to try and get Aja on our side. I mean, the Ancients didn't stop her from Ascending, and if like Anubis, she had Goa'uld DNA in her blood at the time, it would make her a Hok'tar. An incredibly powerful force. One that could be used to our own means."

"So we would basically be manipulating her," Sam countered. "Not to mention risking the kind of toll it would take on Netan, both psychologically and emotionally. And then add to the fact he's recently had heart surgery. We have no way of knowing if it would work and I don't think we should put him through unecessary stress."

"With all do respect Colonel Carter, we're out of options at this point. I mean, what harm would it do to have Netan at least try and contact her? Maybe get some information out of her?"

"The harm, Colonel Sheppard, is that we don't know if she is even mentally stable. She's insane. We have no way of predicting her behavior and right now, we are dealing with enough uncertainties."

"I agree with Colonel Carter."

"Elizabeth!"

"Don't fight me on this, John. Colonel Carter has a point. Its too risky. There are too many uncertainties for me to put my support behind it. I say that we stick with what we know. We have the means to destroy the Supergate, stop the Ori invasion. I say we follow through."

"But what about Vala?"

"I'm sorry, Colonel Mitchell, but wth Daniel out of comission for the foreseen future we have to focus on the situation at hand. We cannot let The Ori into this galaxy. Daniel was the only connection that we have to Vala, and without that connection we have no way of finding her. I'm sorry, but we have to start facing the reality that we can't save everyone. No matter how much we would like to."


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65**

_Sedaris  
Fifteen Years Earlier_

The library was ornate, dressed ceiling to floor with marble statuary, stained glass and more paintings than the entirety of their solar system combined. And while Vala Mal Doran was one of the last people you would believe would be caught dead in a library, it was a particularly hot summer day and this was one of the few places in their village that was not scorching from the warmth. The An Tal's were one of the wealthiest families on the planet. They owned properties that spanned across most of the solar system and were the primary employers of nearly their entire village. The library, a 'gift' the families gift to the village in honor of their son Rayden's sixteenth birthday while spectacular to some to Vala came across as nothing more than flaunting their opulence and abundant wealth upon them. She had come to visit her father and stepmother Adria for the summer. And while she protested violently at having to spend any time with her father and 'that women' as she so often called her, her mother insisted that she come, if for no other reason, than to see her sister.

Vala never thought of Aja as her sister, despite having grown up with one another. She was haughty and arrogant, much like Adria. A spoiled rich girl who used to getting what she wanted when she wanted it. Having grown up the simple daughter of a merchant and midwife, Vala never cared much for worldly desires and felt more comfortable away from the constant reminders of a wealth and snobbery. She felt out-of-place when she visited the village. As if all anyone had to do was look at her, knowing that she was a place where she did not belong. Walking up and down the tall dusty shelves filled with half crumbling tomes, knocking them off and to the floor with a childlike glee, Vala stopped in her tracks when she noticed someone walk into the library. It was Netan, the An Tal family ward. The son of the An Tal's former governess, Netan was given all the benefits that the family gave to their own son, with the possibly of the respect that came along with it. Having been made to feel that he owed a great debt to the An Tal's for the opportunities that were given him. Netan became to earn that respect at all costs.

He was such a fool. But that, she surmised, was due in part to his youth. Vala knew all too well that you couldn't earn the respect of people like this. You were a child born wanting and no matter what life you made for yourself, that would never change. Vala hid behind the bookshelf watching the young man as he set himself up on a small isolated study area near the door. Placing large tomes that he had carried in with him besides a large writing notebook that he used to log his findings he sat with a small sigh and began to bury himself into his work. Vala couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous he looked. Despite being a bit of a bookworm Netan was a particularly attractive man. He would make a good husband if he weren't so dedicated and married to his work. Taking one last look at Netan she slowly turned the corner to leave, only to find herself face to face with her sister.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aja asked looking at Vala incredulously.

"Trying to escape from the god awful heat. I mean, have you been outside? The weather is inappropriate to say the least."

Vala flashed an innocent smile that Aja didn't buy for a minute, "Mother has looked around half the village for you. You do know we have that party tonight"

"How could I forget," Vala bemused pointing to a flyer on a nearby wall. "Its Rayden An Tal's eighteenth birthday. They have signs posted every four feet."

Aja grabbed her sister by the wrist and gently dragged her to towards the exit, "And as one of the prominent families of this village our attendance is expected."

"_Your_ attendance is requested, but nowhere does it say that mine is."

"Vala," Aja sighed as she pulled Vala out the door of the library and onto a large marble patio. "The An Tal's know you are here. If you do not show up it will be a terrible insult to them, not to mention the damage to our families reputation such a slight would cause."

"I don't care about what these people think of me."

"Well I care!" Aja yelled slapping Vala across the face. "This may not be _your _home but its mine. Whatever damage you cause is still here when you leave. I know you hate me and you know what, now, the feeling is pretty mutual."

"I never asked for a sister!"

Vala immediately regretted her words and the sharpness of her tone. The hurt across Aja's face was palpable.

"I never asked for you to like me or to be my sister but as long as you are here you will respect me and my family. You will make an appearance at tonight's event and after that I don't care if I ever see you again!"

Vala watched as Aja stormed off. They said nothing to one another for the rest of the night. Vala would attend the An Tal's gathering, but Aja had kept her distance. The next day she begged her father to send her back home and she returned to spend the rest of the summer with her mother. It would be years before she would see Aja again. Years before they were able to create a real bond. And although they would eventually create a strong bond, Vala never forgave herself for that night. And for the harsh words that had been traded.

oooooo

Vala awoke to find herself in the transport, her vision hazy and slightly unfocused. She had been dreaming and yet it seemed so real. As things became more clear, Vala looked up to see Baz, Terik's son, looking down at her with great concern. It was only then she noticed she was lying on the floor.

"What happened?"

"You were dreaming but you would not wake," Baz said as she helped Vala to the nearby seat. "We became concerned and laid you down in the hopes you would awaken. What were you dreaming of?"

"My sister. Which was strange because the last thought I had been of Daniel."

Baz looked at Vala with strange caution.

"I'm fine Baz. I swear to you I am."

Baz nodded wearily before smiling, "Well, if you're sure then I am happy to tell you that we will be touching down at the rim within the hour."

"How long til we reach Ver Vallis?" Vala asked eagerly.

"Not long. Within a day or two at most. You'll be home soon Vala."

Vala smiled sweetly and looked at the transport window. The rim was within her sight and Daniel within her reach.

Unbeknownst to Vala or anyone else on that ship, there was another passenger with them. Across from Vala, sat Aja, an incredulous and determined look on her face.

"Not if I can help it."

Aja snapped her fingers. A quick flash filled the transport. When the light vanished, Baz turned and much to his shock, Vala was gone.

oooooo

**Authors Note: **I felt that I need to flesh a few things out before I moved forward with the plot. I apologize for pulling the last update chapters without notice and for the length of my last update.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66**

Vala woke to find herself in a garden. She sat up slowly, taking in the lush green of the foilage, the sweet perfumed smell of the flowers was familiar to her. It was the Great Gardens of Sedaris, the 'gift' the An Tal's comissioned in honor of Rayden's eighteenth birthday. This was Sedaris. This was home.

"It seems so real, doesn't it?," said a voice that made Vala's heart both sink and jump for joy at the same time. "Almost makes you forget that it was all reduced to a pile of ash."

Vala slowly turned in the directio of the voice. There, sitting on a nearby marble bench, surrounded by the most beautiful bushes of blue roses she had ever seen, was her sister.

"_A-Aja?"_ Vala stammered as she slowly pulled herself to her feet.

Aja looked at Vala incredulously, rising to her feet. "I haven't seen you in over a decade and that's alll you have to say to me?"

Tears spilling down her cheeks as she reached out and touched her sisters face. Stifiling back a laugh, she quickly pulled her into an embrace. Aja fell into it patiently, not minding all that much that Vala held her as if she never wanted to let her go. After shifting slightly, Vala got the point, letting her sister go as the two sat down on the stone bench.

"But how . . . what . . I don't understand?" Vala exasperated. "Am I dreaming again."

"No, Vala, this is no dream."

"Then what is this?"

"Another plane of existence," Aja explained as she took Vala by the hand. "There is so much that I have to tell you, so much has happened since the last time I saw you."

"I thought you were dead, we all did."

"I am dead, Vala."

Vala was taken aback, immediately pulling her hands from Aja's grasp.

"Then this is a dream."

"No dear sister," Aja smiled as she placed a hand on the side of Vala's face. "Death, is only the beginning of the journey."

It took a minute for Vala to realize where she had heard that phrase before. Within minutes, her eyes were as wide as saucers. An understanding look came across her face.

Aja nodded without Vala having said a word.

"All can be explained, if you let me."

Vala found she had trouble saying the words but after much effort, managed to pull them out, "Tell me everything."

oooooo

Sam Carter walked the long corridor leading to the infirmary with a heavy heart. They had gone through so much. Suffered so greatly and now it seemed as if it had all been for nothing. She needed to see Daniel. She felt a pang of grief hit her, knowing the long recovery Daniel had ahead of him. Knowing that his condition would mean the end of his career as a member of SG1. She knew that the realization of this fate would kill him. Daniel lived for exploration, for field work. The revelation that he would be banned from gate travel would be a terrible cross for him to bear. One that would likely end his career with the SGC entirely. She knew Daniel too well to know that he couldn't sit idly by at some desk. He lived for the adventure and would be miserable without it. Turning a corner, she found herself in front of Netan's room. The door was open and Sam could see him sitting with his eyes closed, lost in thought. She stood there for several minutes, studying him. He was a man with a singular purpose, to find his wife, and now he had, only to lose her. Not unlike Daniel. Now, also not unlike Daniel, he struggled to find purpose with a life that was now long out of his grasp.

"I know you are there, Samantha, you need not stand silent."

"I just came to check up on Daniel," Sam sheepishly said as she stepped into his room.

"I have heard from Dr. Lam that he is doing well" he replied pausing briefly. "Among other things."

Sam took one look in his eyes and immediately knew what he meant,"You know about the Ascension."

Netan nodded, "There was a flurry of activity, I became curious. She was hesitant but eventually told me everything."

"How does that make you feel?" she asked as she sat down on the side of his bed.

"Honestly, I do not know. When we were on the ship she talked about Ascension. That it would happen when we reached Atlantis. I did not believe her. I thought it was some trick on Kebechet's part. She said we were The Light and The Shadow and together we could do great things. I wanted to believe her, but I didn't."

"Its okay, Netan, you had no idea. None of us did."

"You don't understand, Samantha. She did not just speak of her own Ascension. She said that when we got to Atlantis, we would both Ascend. Now she has Ascended and now I am left wondering whether I am to follow her."

"Do you . . . want to follow her?"

"I cannot lie. There is a part of me, deep down, that would want nothing more than to spend eternity with her. But that is when I thought she was my wife. Now I do not know who she is anymore. She is just as much Kebechet as she is Aja and vice versa. They have become one and the same being. And I don't know who that is anymore, nor, and it breaks my heart to say this, do I want to. I do not want to Ascend, Samantha, but now that she has done so I feel it to be inevitable."

"I won't let that happen," Sam protested much to Netan's amusement.

"I cannot see how you can stop it, Samantha."

Sam's thoughts traveled back to the briefing and to Mitchell's crazy idea.

"There may be a way, that is, if you are feeling up to it."

"I am up for anything at this point," Netan said before giving a small laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"A few hours ago, I thought I had nothing to live for. I could see no future for myself. I was ready to die. And now that I face the real threat of death, and the unknown that follows it, I want nothing more than to live."

"I want you to live."

Netan reached out and touched the side of Sam's face gently, "Then I will do my best to try and live for you, Samantha."

They stared at one another meaningfully for a long moment before Netan pulled her close and passionately kissed her lips. Every fiber in Sam's body felt electric, as if she had suffered some kind of static shock. It had been a while since anyone or anything had made her feel this way. She pulled away gently, fighting back tears that threatened to spill and looked at Netan deeply.

"Then lets do what we can to make sure you do," she smiled as she began filling him in on her plans.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67**

Aja had filled Vala in as best as she could, leaving out a few minor details that she felt were either unimportant or that she would fill her sister in on at a later time. It had been a long while since she had stopped speaking and Vala had yet to respond. She just sat there, in what Aja could only assume was in deep thought process trying desperately to take in all that she had just been told. She had just about given up and assumed that she had shocked her sister catatonic when Vala turned to her with that look she always gave before asking serious questions.

"If you're Ascended," she replied matter-of-factly, "Then why didn't you just zap me back to Daniel instead of bringing me here."

"It doesn't work like that. You don't seem all that surprised by all of this."

"After what I have been through this past year or so, nothing really surprises me anymore," Vala grinned, "And what, you don't have the power to do it? Is it you don't know how to?"

"Its not like that."

"Then what is it like?"

Aja looked to Vala exasperated, "How much did Daniel Jackson tell you about his time as an Ascended."

"Everything, from my understanding."

"Then you know all about that very fine line he walked, then, yes?"

Vala nodded.

"The same goes for me, only I have a bit more scrutiny than he did. Since I died with Goa'uld DNA in my body I have potentially more power than your average Ascended Being. They are very much for the status quo, no one being is more powerful than the other, they work as a collective unit. While it is possible for me to do as you asked, it would require tremendous power and I am trying to stay under the radar, so to speak."

"Then why bring me here, what is the reason for all of this?"

"I need your help."

"With what?"

"The Ori."

"The Ori? What do they have to do with any of this?"

"The Ori are a threat to everything, including The Ancients. They're terrified, I can feel it. We need to stop the coming storm, at all costs."

"What do I have to do with any of this."

"You have birthed The Orici, you have everything to do with this. If that child falls into their hands then all is lost. There is nothing anyone could do to stop them. I know you have sent her away. I will protect her Vala. Keep her safe from them."

Vala looked at her sister wearily, "While I have no doubt your intentions are just, how can I trust that the Ancients won't take her from you?"

"I know of a place where she will be safe. A place out of the grasp of The Ori and The Ancients, where she can be raised safely without worry. It is a place known to only a few. You need not worry, sister. I will keep her safe, raise her right and, hopefully, one day I can reunite her with you and Daniel."

Vala looked to Aja confused, "What do you mean by one day? She is my daughter. You can't keep her from me."

"I have to, Vala. It won't be safe. And, in all fairness, you cannot give her what she needs."

"And you can?" she barked increduously.

"She is no ordinary child Vala. She is Human and Goa'uld and Ascended. While I love you, sweet sister, you know as well as I that this child cannot be raised by either you or Daniel. She is not a normal child. She is a powerful child, with limitless potential if put into the right hands. She cannot thrive unless she is raised among those with those who fully understand her capabilities and who can help her through it. And much like her I am Human and Goa'uld and Ascended. While she is made of The Orici, if she is not raised with their influence, she has a chance of being free from it. It has been done before, it can be done again."

Vala's heart broke at the realization that Aja was right. She had remembered reading mission briefings about Shifu, the son of Daniel's wife, Sha're, who had been spared the evil of his birthright through the training of an Ascended with benevolent intentions.

"You could do this, you would help her?"

"I would save her, Vala. I am the only one who can. We both have pasts we would like to forget. Things we have to attone for. This is my redemption, Vala. Pleaase, give me that chance, as Lucian did for you."

Vala thought back to her time with the Tok'ra who had saved her from Qetesh's grasp. He had been willing to put faith in her when no one else would. And while she has struggled since she has felt that without his opportunity, she would have never had a chance to be a better woman. To make up for the things she had done. She owed her sister the same.

"I lost consciousness after she was born. I don't remember what happened to her. She may be in the hands of The Ori already. However, there was another person with me. His name was Tomin. I have reason to believe he ran away with her, to protect her. But again, I don't know if it worked."

Aja smiled as she cupped the side of Vala's face, "You have given me a start. I cannot use my power to find her, I would be too exposed. Looking for this Tomin, however, may be just what I need. I will let you know when I find her, sister, now go find Daniel. He will need you now more than ever."

"What?" Vala asked, but before she knew it she was back on the ship, scaring the crap out of Baz and the other passengers.

"Vala!" he called running to her side. "What happened? Are you allright?"

"I'm fine."

"We didn't know what happened, you just disappeared, we feared The Ori had you."

Vala shook her head, "No, The Ori did not take me, but I must get word to your father. Things have changed."


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68**

John stood on one of the outer balconies of Atlantis, staring off into space. So focused he was on his thought, he did not hear Teyla as she approached.

"Staring off into the distance must be a common trait to the humans of Earth, I don't think I have seen a single person that does not do it."

He smiled. He always valued Teyla's ability to be frank, especially in moments where he needed it the most.

"I don't think you can pinpoint it as strictly a human thing, I have seen you stare off on more than one occasion."

"Well, then it must be from spending so much time with you."

Teyla smiled and rested her elbows on the balcony rail, taking a good look at the Colonel.

"Elizabeth told me what you have planned. Do you truly believe it to be wise?"

"Honestly, no. But in reality, I don't think we have much of a choice. Its the only ace we have."

"How do we know that Netan can be trusted?"

"Colonel Carter seems to have faith in him, and truth be told, Sam has a tendancy to be right more often than not."

Teyla gave John a long look before she too began to stare off into space, "I lived my entire life at the mercy of the Wraith. My people, my family, terrorized and murdered for their own ends. The Ascended are no different. We may revere The Ancients, but they are not The Ancients anymore. Ascension has changed them. With the way they manipulate and use people and all to meet their own ends, they are no different from The Wraith. And if The Ori mak their way here, I fear that we will have no choice but to bend in submission. You freed me and my people from the mercy of The Wraith, along with who knows how many others. I will not bend again. None of us will. We must fight for our freedom, our die trying."

"Yeah, its not the fighting part that is giving me pause."

John gave Teyla one last look before he rested his elbows on the balcony rail, looking once more out at the magestic ocean, and wondering how much longer he would be around to see it.

ooooooo

The inn was practically empty, but still that did not give him respite. Most of the townspeople were off preparing for the coming battle, which made it much easier for him to find a room on such short notice. The innkeeper Lyros, was a kind, ederly man, half-blind and hunchbacked with age. He lived there with his wife Myreena, a good ten years younger, who was still quite comely with her advanced age and always wore a kind smile. He had come to the inn in the middle of the storm, grasping the bundle carefully, yet tightly, to his chest. They had held up in a nearby cave for the better part of a few hours, with only some milk he had managed to swindle from the ships stores before fleeing.

It was only when it had run dry was he forced to leave from their hiding place. The rain had come almost an hour in, making the basket that had carried her around in too dangerous to keep for fear it would fill and drown the child. It was hours before he found anything but trees and had come upon the inn only by chance. It had looked like a farm house from the distance and more than likely had been a farm house at one time. He had clutched the child tightly to his chest and ran faster than he thought possible. When he had reached the door, he was out of breath and sodden with rain.

Myreena answered the door and after taking one look at the bundle in his arms, ushered him immediately in. She called for Lyros, who immediately ran up the stairs and came down moments later with another man, if he had to guess around middle age, looking concerned. He asked to see the child, and instinct told him to only draw her closer. However the man said his name was a Healer and he just wanted to make sure the child was not ill from the rain. He relented and after a few anxious moments she was returned to him, dressed in dry clothes and smiling. The Healer looked at him cautiously, asking him who he was and how he had come upon the child.

Knowing that he could not be too trusting, he told the man that he and his wife were traveling from a distant village when she gave birth. His wife fell ill but they were in a heavy wooded area and she fell ill with childbed fever, dying not too long after. Knowing that they could not stay in the woods, he milked a goat for the babe and began walking in search of help. The Healer eyed him wearily before seeming to accept his story. He offered condolences and Lyros said they could stay at the inn as long as he needed to ensure the child stayed healthy and strong. The babe began to cry soon after and Myreena shouted something he did not understand up the stairs the Healer had come down from.

A few minutes passed before a young, dark haired girl came bellowing down and stood by Myreena's side. The girl smiled at him sweetly as Myreena told him she could nurse the child for him. He hesistated. But there was something about the girl, warm and familiar, and he pushed his hesitation aside. The child seemed to take to her instantly, and for the first time in what seemed like days, he felt as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders. He was given a room atop the loft by the staircase. It was large enough for him and the child and close to the room of the young woman that she could easily hear the childs cries and attend her as needed.

He would find himself watching her, although he told himself he was keeping an eye on the child. From afar she looked like Vala, or what he thought Vala would have looked like if she were younger. Although her features were very different, they shared a same profile and long flowing dark hair. He found it bittersweet. A great sadness overtook him and for a moment, he forgot where he was and began to cry.

"Are you allright?" the woman asked breaking him out of his concentration. Seeing that she was still nursing, he turned around, embarassed to have been caught watching them.

"There is no need to turn away sir."

"You are bare of breast and I am not your husband, it would be indecent."

"It is life," she said as she walked purposefully into his line of vision. "I am keeping the child alive. There is nothing indecent about it."

"It still is not right. You are a maiden and I am newly widowed."

"I am no maid, sir, and I am no longer married," she said placing the child, who had fallen asleep, in nearby basket Myreena has fashioned into a crib.

He looked up to her shocked, "I am so very sorry."

She smiled softly and for the first time he noticed she had not relaced her bodice after having put the babe down.

"He did not die," she sighed as she walked over and sat down on the bed. "He left me."

She started to cry. He walked over to her instantly, sitting beside her. She wept on his shoulder.

"Why did he leave you?"

"For the war. For folly. For The Ori. I told him to come with me. That he didn't need to fight. That we could run off together. But he did not listen. Ten years we were married and he threw it away as if it meant nothing."

"He is a fool then."

His words did not bring the comfort he thought they would. It only caused her to cry more.

"You don't understand. He has shamed me. We cannot dare say that we did not believe in The Ori's cause so everyone think I was somehow lacking. I will spend the rest of my life as a maid. No man will marry me. I will bear no children of my own. So I came to Myreena to learn to be a wet nurse in the hopes of gaining some kind of meaning with my life. But these last few days, with the child, it reminds me of everything I will never have."

He didn't know why he said it and the words fell from his mouth faster than his mind could comprehend what he was saying.

"I will marry you."

Shock ran across the girls face, "You mean it? Truly. Please tell me you are not jesting."

He had not meant to say those words, but maybe deep down he did. He knew he could not walk around a man alone with a child without raising suspicion. He was planning on traveling to one of the outer planets anyway. Where no one knew him. It would be easier with a wife and the child seemed to take to her as if she were her natural mother.

"Yes," he said strongly. "I loved my wife dearly and always will. But she is gone and our daughter needs a mother. She seems to have taken to you. With her gone I cannot bear to return to our village, so I am looking to settle elsewhere. I can take you as a wife and with you nursing the child no one need know you are not her natural mother. If you consent to marry me, you will be my wife and no one will ever know of your past shame."

The girl could only smile, "Lyros can be the one to marry us. He owns the house and the lands it sits on and landowners can give consent to wed. And Myreen and Terik, can be our witnesses. That is all we need."

In the back of his mind, it kept screaming at him to put an end to this folly, that he was making a mistake. But one look at the girls bright face caused him to push back those thoughts. "Then we must tell him. We will be wed at once."

For a second he thought he saw the most wicked of grin's flash across her face and eyes, the kind that a predator would give when it knew its prey was caught. It was so fleeting that he had convinced himself that he had imagined it. That his mind was playing tricks on him.

"Well," she smiled up sweetly at him, "If we are to be husband and wife, we must know what to call one another."

"Tomin," he said as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Tomin," she repeated as she grabbed his hand and guided it towards the unlaced top of her bodice - caressing the softness of her chest.

"And what may I call you?," he stuttered slightly as she pulled them both down onto the bed.

"My name is Aleajandra," she whispered as she began to kiss him softly on the neck. "But please, call me Aja."


End file.
